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YOU ASKED FOR IT! The author unchained takes to the podium. Winner of two recent awards for history writing, 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

Dennis recently completed a 3.8 pound hardcover history of Strawbery Banke Museum that runs 400 pages with 350+ photos and is available for $35, plus postage. The book is being distributed by UPNE and a special $100 boxed edition is available exclusively at Strawbery Banke's museum shop. You will also find the book in Barnes & Noble, Riverrun and on a variety of web sites and bookstores. After just six months in release, the book is moving into its second edition currently.
SEE & BUY SIGNED COPY JDR's NEW STRAWBERY BANKE BOOK HERE OR SIGNED COPY of Wentworth by the Sea
Other available books (see Amazon.com) include RICH WITH CHILDREN: A Sicilian Family in Immigrant City ($30) and LORD BALTIMORE: Founder of Maryland ($32) and a juvenile biography of JESSE JAMES due in both hardcover and paperback ($10). His local history columns appear weekly in the Portsmouth Herald, biweekly in the Portsmouth Herald and bimonthly in ACCENT Magazine and occasional articles elsewhere.).
FOR THESE BOOKS: To purchase earlier autographed books from SeacoastNH.com CLICK HERE
J. Dennis Robinson live lectures, talks, book signings
SEE ONLINE VIDEO: JDR narrates Portsmouth History Video
SBM = Strawbery Banke Museum history WBS = Wentworth by the Sea history (see the book) 400 = 400 Years of Portsmouth History (new for 2006) JPJ = John Paul Jones, America's First Superhero LIV = Lively Boys! Origin of the Bad boy Book Genre ECON = A quick up and down history of Portsmouth economy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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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
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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
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
Portsmouth Herald Interview January 2008
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 over 30,000 people each week and 8,000 readers across the United States and Canada receive his monthly electronic newsletter on "America’s Smallest Seacoast". He also created GOseacoast.com and SeacoastSearch.com.
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.
His printed publications include A Brief History of Portsmouth, New England: A Photographic Portrait, Portsmouth and Coastal New Hampshire: A Photographic Portrait. In 2004 Robinson released the award-winning hardcover book Wentworth by the Sea: The Life and Times of a Grand Hotel. A novel focused on a murder at an historic Portsmouth house is in development. With historian Lynne Vachon he recently completed the history of Sicilian immigrant family called Rich With Children now at the publishers. His current project is finding an new project.
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