YOU ASKED FOR IT!
The author unchained takes to the podium. Winner of two awards for history writing and now uathor of 11 books, SeacoastNH.com editor and publisher J. Dennis Robinson lectures frequently. He's been called "the funniest history lecturer in New Hampshire." Maybe that's because people expect history to be dry stuff, but Robinson says -- no way. "History is about people first, and people are pretty darn funny," he says. " Click to see latest talks below.
J. Dennis Robinson books:
Two new ones out in 2012
AMERICA'S PRIVATEER: Priavteer Lynx and the War of 1812 tells the story of two fast tall ships named LYNX, one built 200 years ago and captured by the British, the sails today. The new schooner LYNX was built at Rockport , Maine in 2001 and is registered in Portsmouth, NH. This is the one bicentennial book you won't want to miss.
UNDER THE ISLES OF SHOALS: Arhcaeology in & Discovery on Smuttynose Island is a colorful over-sized paperback with nearly 200 pictures. It focuses on the 250,000 artifacts discovered recently at the Isles of Shoals and the impace they have on local history.
SEE & BUY SIGNED JDR BOOKS (CLICK HERE)
ALSO BY JDR
- MARITIME PORTSMOUTH: The Sawtelle Colelction
- STRIKING BACK: The History of Child Labor Explitation (for kids)
- STRAWBERY BANKE: A Museum 400 Years in the Making
- JESSE JAMES: Legendary Rebel and Outlaw (for kids)
- WENTWORTH BY THE SEA: THe LIfe & Times of a Grand Hotel
- RICH WITH CHILDREN: AN Italian Family Comes to America
- LORD BALTIMORE: Founder of Maryland ( for kids)
- NEW ENFGLAND: A Photographic Portrait
- PORTSMOUTH & COASTAL NH: Photographic Portrait
J. Dennis Robinson live lectures, talks, book signings
SIGN UP FOR JDR LECTURES AT HUMANITIES TO GO
LECTURES IN 2012
(subject to change, updated in July 2012. Many events at 7pm, but check with venue for actual times and dates. Some events are private or require admission fee, but many are sponsored free to the public by the NH Humanitie Council)
Updated August 1
March 7
|
Derry
|
Strawbery Banke
|
Questars
|
April 10
|
Milford
|
War of 1812
|
Wadleigh Library
|
April 12
|
Nottingham
|
Strawbery Banke
|
Blaisdell Library
|
April 19
|
Wilmot
|
“Bad Boy” Novels
|
Wilmot Library
|
May 8
|
Canterbury
|
Strawbery Banke
|
Historical Society
|
May 10
|
Epping
|
Strawbery Banke
|
Library Friends
|
May 17
|
Rye
|
War of 1812
|
Webster at Rye
|
June 1
|
Portsmouth
|
TV interview
|
Fox 25 TV Zip Trip
|
June 7
|
Amesbury
|
Whitter & the Shoals (with Maryellen)
|
Whittier House Garden (2 pm)
|
June 9
|
New Castle
|
400 Years of Seacoast History
|
College of Trial Lawyers (private)
|
June 27
|
WMUR-TV
|
Shoals Archaeology
|
NH Chronicle TV show
|
July 14
|
Portsmouth
|
Shoals Archaeology
|
Discover Portsmouth (11 am)
|
July 28
|
Eliot, ME
|
Shoals Archaeology
|
Piscatqua Pioneers (members event)
|
August 1
|
Exeter
|
Shoals book signing
|
Water St Books
|
August 2
|
Portsmouth
|
Shoals Archaeology
|
Gundalow Company (pay event, early eve)
|
August 15
|
Dover
|
Collecting Paul Jones
|
Wentworth Home
|
August 18
|
Portsmouth
|
Signing Books
|
USS Albacore 2-3pm
|
September 6
|
Plaistow
|
Strawbery Banke
|
Plaistow Library
|
September 11
|
Wakefield
|
Collecting Paul Jones
|
Historical Society
|
September 12
|
Portsmouth
|
War of 1812
|
Ports. Athenaeum
|
September 22
|
Portsmouth
|
Smuttynose Murders
|
Concord Reads Group (members event)
|
FALL TBA
|
Newington
|
“Under the Shoals” book signing
|
Barnes & Noble
|
FALL TBA
|
Groveland, MA
|
“Treasure at the Isles of Shoals”
|
Langley-Adams Library
|
October 4
|
Gilmanton
|
“Bad Boy” Novels
|
Library, 6:30pm
|
November 7
|
Lee
|
“Bad Boy” Novels
|
Lee Library
|
December 12
|
Portsmouth
|
Shoals Treasure
|
Kremple Center, 1pm
|
April 9, 2013
|
Plaistow
|
“Lively Boys”
|
Library
|
TBA 2013
|
Bedford
|
John Paul Jones
|
Bedford Library
|
April 10, 2011
2 pm, Sunday
America’s Smallest Seacoast
MOSES GREELEY PARKER LECTURE SERIES
Lowell, MA
Public invited
May 11, 2011
6:30pm, Wednesday
History of Strawbery Banke
DERRY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Public invited / NH Humanities
May 18, 2011
12:45 pm, Wednesday
History of Portsmouth
KREMPLE CENTER
Portsmouth, NH
Private meeting
July 15, 2011
5pm, Friday
America’s Smallest Seacoast
CAVANAUGH FAMILY REUNION
Private meeting
Summer 2011
Date TBA
Collecting John Paul Jones
PORTSMOUTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Gallery Talk /public
Summer 2011
Date TBA
Maritime Portsmouth
DISCOVER PORTSMOUTH CENTER
Author Talk / public
August 9, 2011
7pm, Tuesday
Who Won 1812 War?
NEW CASTLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Public invited
September 22, 2011
7pm, Thursday
Who Won 1812 War?
OLD BERWICK HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Berwick Academy, Maine
Public invited
October 13, 2011
Thursday, 7pm
Making of Strawbery Banke
SPRINGFILED TOWN MEETINGHOUSE
Public Invited / NH Humanities
------------ sorry, you missed these
May 19, 7pm
Topic: Founding of Strawbery Banke
PORTSMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
Levenson Room, public invited
Portsmouth, NH
May 25, noon - 2pm
LILAC FESTIVAL
Book signing
Wentworth Coolidge Mansion
Portsmouth, NH
May 22 Noon
Topic: Strawbery Banke History
FRIENDS OF RICE LIBRARY
Kittery, Maine
March 24, 8:30-9:30am
Strawbery Banke Fundraiser
at Wentworth by the Sea
Book signing, breakfast and lively presentations
Cal; for info: Nancy Grace Lowenberg at (603) 422-7552
March 29, 7pm
Topic: Life of John Paul Jones (JPJ)
Portsmouth Yacht Clup
Members Only (Details TBA)
April 1, 2008
Topic: Lively Boys! Lively Boys!
The Bad Boys of Literature
Exeter Historical Society
Time 6pm, public invited, seating limited
April 10, 11am
WTSN, Dover
Open Mike with Mike Pomp
April 17, 6PM
Topic: SBM slide lecture
NEW CASTLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
April 24 7pm
Topic: Strawbery Banke History
OLD BERWICK HISTORICAL
Fogg Library at Berwick Academy
April 25, 26, 27
Topic: Story of a Bad Boy
WEST END STUDIO
Panel discussion after Pontine Play
Portsmouth, NH
WOKQ radio interview
March 21 -- 12:15pm
Recording date at Sam Adams Show
Broadcast Date TBA
Riverrun Bookstore in Portsmouth
Topic: "Strawbery Banke: Past & Future"
March 5, 7 PM
Book signing and discussion with Larry Yerdon,
Presidnet of Strawbery Banke Museum
NH CHRONICLE
February 29, 7:30PM
DON'T MISS THIS ON on Channel 9,
Show dedicated to history of Strawbery Banke
and our new book featured
February 16, 1-3 pm
Strawbery Banke Gift Shop
Books signing in Tyco Visitor Center
during historic tour winter event
THE WIRE interview
Publication date first week of February
WHEB Clearchannel Interview
Broadcast date mid-February TBA
PORTSMOUTH ATLANTIC WEEKLY
Review publication date Feburary 14
January 30
The Politics of Preservation at Strawbery Banke
Wentworth-Gardner Lecture Series
Dinner and Lecture
6 - 9 pm
January 19, 2008
SBM Book Signing
Portsmouth, NH, Barnes & Noble
1PM
December 8, 7-9pm (Saturday)
Book signing
Strawbery Banke Gift Shop
Candlelight Stroll customers only
December 15, 6-9pm (Saturday)
Book signing
Strawbery Banke Gift Shop
Candlelight Stroll customers only
December 18, 2007 (Tuesday)
SBM Book signing
Portsmouth Athenaeum
5:30 PM, public invited
December 23, 1-3pm (Call for details)
Book signing
Strawbery Banke Gift Shop
All audiences
November 29, 2007
"The New Portsmouth Cultural Center"
Portsmouth Rotary, Noon
Member only
October 27, 2007
"How We Almost Didn't Happen"
National Board, Strawbery Banke
Strawbery Banke Museum
September 2007
History of Strawbery Banke
Keynote NH Charitable Foundation
Greater Piscataqua Annual Meeting
September 2007
History of Strawbery Banke
Historic New England, Langdon Mansion
Portsmouth, NH
September 2007400 Years of Local HIstory
Keynote American Foundry Association
Wentworth by the Sea
May 2007 (TBA)
Why Writers Starve
Seacoast Writer's Association
Chester, NH
May 3 2007 (TBA
Portsmouth on Fire
Federal Fire Society
Portsmouth, NH
Jan/Feb (tentative)
Lively Boys! Lively Boys!
Wentorth Coolide Mansion
Portsmouth, NH
October 29
History of Strawbery Banke -- the Book So Far
Puddle Dock Group
Strawbery Banke Museum
October 10
Portsmouth Regional Hospital
Speakers Bureau
400 Years
September 21
Portsmouth Historical Society
LIVELY BOYS! LIVERY BOYS!
A one-time new lecture on 19th century literary figures
who grew up in Portsmouth and went on to fame.
Part of the Literary Lions exhibit at the Portsmouth Athenaeum
and part of the 250th anniversary of Printing in NH
Rockingham Ballroom, Portsmouth, NH
September 14
UNH Elderhostel
400 Years, 11 am
Holiday Inn, Portsmouth, NH
September 12
NANNYc Convention, Private
400 Years of Portsmouth History
Wentworth by the Sea Hotel
September 11
Stratham Historical Society
WBS, public invited
August
Radio WKXL1450 "Human Ties" Show
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD ENTIRE INTERVIEW
"Literary Lions Exhibit"
Deb Watrous, the Executive Director
of the New Hampshire Council for the Humanities
Concord, NH
August
Portsmouth Magazine Interview
"The Man Who Created the Seacoast"
August
THE WIRE Interview
Life Among the Lions
August 10
Riverwoods & The Ridge
WBS , 7:30 pm
Exeter, NH
July 25
Bringing the Dead to Life; Spritis 2006
"The Forgotten Founders of NH"
Point of Graves Cemetery
Portsmouth, NH
6pm. Free to the public
June 17 - 24
Smuttynose Island
Daily tours at the Isles of Shoals
Come on out if you have a boat
CSPAN BOOkTV
Riverrun Cable TV book Interview
Broadcast date to be announced
June 12
400 Years of Portsmouth History for Event Planners
Wentworth by the Sea, 9am
May 25
Friend of Rice Library
APOLOGIES TO KITTERY
How Portsmouth stoel 400 years of Kittery history
Congregational Church, Kittery Point, ME
September 13, 2005
UNH Elderhostel
400 Years of Portsmouth History (classroom)
Interactive lecture , 10:30 am
Portsmouth, NH
August 20
WBS and the Treaty of Portsmouth (invited guests)
Portsmouth Historical Society
Time TBA
July 7
Portsmouth Rotary
Happy Birthday John Paul
Luncheon, third JDR speech in ongoing history series
June 28
NH Auto Dealers Assoication
WBS History (private conference)
Wentworth by the Sea
June 16
Northeastern University Alumni
400 Years of Portsmouth History
1 pm, Sheraton Harborside (private event)
June 9
Brentwood Historical Society
WBS, 7:30 PM, public invited
May TBA
Portsmouth Herald VIP Workshop
Aprill 22 (tentative encore)
Lane Memorial Library
Treaty of Portsmouth & WBS Hotel
7 pm, public invited
Hampton, NH
March 29
WSCA-FM Radio
Portsmouth History Discussion with Burt Cohen
about Visitor's Center, 11am
March 24
Federated Republican Woman's Club
WBS slide show (private function)
Portsmouth, 7pm
Portsmouth Athenaeum
January 27, 2005
Old Berwick Historical Society
WBS slideshow (public invited)
7:30 pm, Location Berwick Academy
South Berwick, ME
Radio Free Europe
Discussuib of John Paul Jones in Russia
Russian Language Version
January 19, 2005
Lane Memorial Library
Treaty of Portsmouth & WBS Hotel
7 pm, public invited
Hampton, NH
Decembr 9
6pm (private club)
WBS history discussion
St. Theresa's Catholic Men's Club
Rye, NH
December 2
Seacoast Science Center
WBS slideshow (tickets available)
Heritage Dinner Series Keynote
Odiorne Point, Rye, NH
November 18
Rye Library & Rye Historical Society
WBS Slideshow (public invited)
Book signing 6 pm, Lecure 7 pm
Rye, NH
November 15
Piscataqua Savings Bank
WBS Behind the Scenes (By Invitation)
7pm
Wentworth by the Sea
November 12
Wentworth by the Sea (private function)
November 9
North Church Women's Group
400 Years of Portsmouth History (public invited)
7pm, Parish House, Spinney Road
Portsmouth, NH
November 7
DAR Meeting, Ranger Chapter (members)
Award presented to Robinson for history writing
3pm
Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion
Portsmouth, NH
November 4
Portsmouth Rotary Club
WBS: Economics of a Grand Hotel (members & guests)
!2:15 pm lunch meeting keynote
Portsmouth, NH
October 22
Riverrun Books
WBS book signing &
remarks titled "Why Writers Starve" (public invited)
7pm at the bookshop
Portsmouth, NH
October 18
Portsmouth College Women’s Club
WBS slideshow (members)
Portsmouth, NH
October 12
Portsmouth Public Library
John Paul Jones: Superhero (public invited)
Slideshow
Portsmouth, NH
October 9
Inn at Spruce Wood
WBS book signing & discussion (public invited)
5pm
Durham, NH
September 29 (archived online, click below to listen)
History of Wentworth by the Sea (interview)
NH Public Radio
TheFront Porch with host John Walters
September 23
98.7 The Bay Radio, Dover
7:30 am broadcast
Seacoast in the Morning with Diane Adair
September 23
Barnes & Noble
WBS book signing & comments (public invited)
Portsmouth, NH
September 14
UNH Elderhostel
400 Years of Portsmouth History (classroom)
Interactive lecture , 10:30 am
Portsmouth, NH
September 3,4,5
Shoals Marine Lab (UNH & Cornell classroom)
Mysteries & Legends of the Isles of Shoals (with Maryellen Burke)
& WBS slide show
Appledore Island, Isles of Shoals, ME
July 26
Newmarket Historical Society
Last week of June
Smuttynose Island waslking tours
June 14
DAR 75th Anniversary Dinner
Wentworth by the Sea
June 8
UNH Elderhostel
May 4
Wentworth by the Sea
WBS Book signing
April 1
Piscataqua Savings Bank
Board of Directors Keynote
April 22
Portsmouth Athenaeum
WBS Book Signing
Lecture: John Paul Jones: Superhero
March
Portsmouth Rotary
Life of Tobias Lear
J. Dennis Robinson has only been a Portsmouth resident for 30 years, but in that time he has published 1,000 articles about the Seacoast region and its history. His Internet web portal SeacoastNH.com currently reaches about 10,000 visitors weekly.
Robinson has taught writing at the high school and college level and is a graduate of UNH. For 15 years he owned and managed Ideaworks, an audio visual production company. He currently writes history columns for the New Hampshire Gazette, The Portsmouth Herald and Accent Magazine.
---------------------------------- more old stuff
September 8, 7pm
WAKEFIELD HISTORICAL
SBM lecture
Public invited / NHHC sponsored
July 17, 10 am
PISCATAQUA GARDEN CLUB
SBM lecture
York Reading Room, York, ME
Private function
June 20-26
SMUTTYNOSE ISLAND
Walking history tour, daylgiht hours
May 14, 7pm
BRENTWOOD HISTORICAL
SBM lecture
Public invited / NHHC sponsored
April 29, 7:30 pm
RIVERWOODS
Exeter, NH
SBM lecture
Public invited
April 22, 7pm
NEWMAKRET HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Wentworth by the Sea lecture
Public invited
April 17, 10am
DURHAM COMMUNITY CHURCH
SBM lecture
Puiblic invited / NHHC sponsored
April 17, afternoon
UNH, DURHAM
Special discussion on Betty & Barney Hill
Special to UNH students
April 14 7pm
MADBURY TOWN HALL
SBM lecture
Public invited / NHHC sponsored
-----------------------------------sorrry, you missed these
February 9, 2009 2pm
MOLLY STARK DAR
John Stark House
Manchester, NH
Topic: John Paul Jones
Nonprofit organization meeting
Winter 2009 (tba)
MARK WENTWORTH HOME
Portsmouth, NH
Topic: Founding of SBM
Free to public
January 14, 2009)
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOC.
"The Big Read" Tom Sawyer
Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH
Topic: Origin of Bad Boy Books
Nonprofit convention
January 12, 2009, 7pm
STRATHAM HISTORICAL
Stratham Firehouse
Topic: History of SBM
Free to the public
December
HOLIDAY STROLL
Strawbery Banke Museum
Book signings
December 7
BARNES & NOBLE
Local authors signing books
(somewhere in back of the store)
October 24, 2pm
NH WRITER'S PROJECT
Stoodley’s Tavern, Strawbery Banke
Portsmouth, NH
Topic: History Across Genres
Panel discussion on writing history
Fee charged
October 19, 10am
ALHFM
Association of Living History Farms & Museums
Strawbery Banke Visitor Center
Portsmouth, NH
Topic: Brief History of SBM
Nonprofit convention
--------------- Sorry, you missed these --------------
October 16, 5pm
BOREALIS VENTURES
Café Pesche
Portsmouth, NH
Topic: Economic History of Portsmouth
Private function
October 9, 7pm
FRIENDS OF NEWFIELDS LIBRARY
Newfields Town Hall
Newfields, NH
Topic: Making of SBM
Public Invited, free
October 6, 2pm
DISCOVER PORTSMOUTH CENTER
Portsmouth, NH
Topic: Lively Boys! Lively Boys!
$10, all proceeds to DPC
September 25, 6:30pm
RYE LIBRARY
Rye Libraray Friends &
Rye Historical Society
Topic: Making of SBM
Free to public
May 15
DARTMOUTH ALUMNI CLUB
Wentworth by the Sea Coiuntry Club
Greenland, NH
Topic: How Portsmouth Started Dartmouth
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