Andrew MacLean
Categories: Male Authors - Anglophone Authors - Authors of Non-Fiction - Saint John River Valley
Source: Author / auteur
Biography
Andrew MacLean's popular long-form Atlantic Canadian history column, Backyard History, appears once a week in more than a dozen newspapers and is read widely across the Maritimes. [He has also] published three books.
He is the host of the Backyard History Podcast and the Backyard History television show on Bell Fibe.
He puts the story into history, digging deep into forgotten and obscure moments in Maritimes history and fashioning them into fascinating tales.
Mixing academic research with the human touch Maritimers are known for, MacLean's Backyard History has been featured by media outlets across Canada.
A prolific world traveller, he has backpacked through 37 countries across five continents, while his varied career in Canada has taken him everywhere from land surveying to managing federal and provincial election campaigns.
Inspired by his grandfather's stories about local lore on New Brunswick's north shore, MacLean began digging deep into forgotten and obscure moments in Maritimes history and fashioning them into fascinating stories.
MacLean holds a degree in History from the University of New Brunswick continuing on to a Masters at Dalhousie University.
He lives in Fredericton.
How has New Brunswick influenced your work?
I research true events that happened in New Brunswick and recount our history in that oh-so-engaging classic Maritimes storytelling style, so it's difficult to overstate the province's influence on my work. From the people and places to the rich and often surprising history, New Brunswick provides an endless source of inspiration.
What is your favourite New Brunswick book, and why?
My favourite New Brunswick book is the catchily titled, A Monograph of the Place-Nomenclature of the Province of New Brunswick by William F. Ganong. Ganong's extraordinary research is the absolute gold standard in historical scholarship, delving into the origins and meanings of every place name in the province from English, Acadian, and Indigenous perspectives. It's not just a reference book; it's a journey through New Brunswick's cultural past.
What's truly remarkable is how Ganong's meticulous work preserves layers of history that might otherwise have been forgotten. And yet, despite its significance, this book is long out of print – a telling statement about how little investment is made in preserving and promoting the work of authors in New Brunswick.
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Featured Publication |
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Backyard History: Forgotten Stories from Atlantic Canada's Past (2023) |
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Find this author in the New Brunswick public libraries catalogue.
Source(s): Author.
