Happy birthday to MLK! My Scholastic children's book YOU ARE A STAR, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. strives to combine emotional storytelling and humor, with sidebars and two-panel comics that feature anecdotes not included in other picture-book biographies. shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecomm...

Happy birthday to theatrical legend André De Shields. My essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS shows how counterculture productions in 1960s Madison helped launch De Shields’ Tony- and Emmy-winning acting career.

For the Wisconsin-curious on your holiday gift list...? deanrobbins.net/wisconsin-id...

Thanks for including MAMBO MUCHO MAMBO, @kidsbookaday.bsky.social!

WQOW News 18 interviewed me about Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren, the twin-sister advice columnists who spent a crucial decade in Eau Claire. I included a chapter on their intense love-hate relationship in my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS. www.wqow.com/eye-on-eau-c...

Such fun last weekend presenting my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS at the Wisconsin Book Festival! I loved seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the Wisconsin Historical Society auditorium, with expert support from the @whspress.bsky.social.

[email protected] enrolled in a theater program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a lark, regarding acting as an impractical career. See how it all worked out for her in my book WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME. youtube.com/shorts/36aat...

Chris Farley crushed the audition for a Madison improv troupe with a shocking bit of physical comedy—the turning point in his rise to stardom, as you learn in my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME. youtube.com/shorts/hoZHm...

My picture book MAMBO MUCHO MAMBO!: THE DANCE THAT CROSSED COLOR LINES (@candlewickpress.bsky.social) is now out in paperback, in both English and Spanish. It’s the story of a barrier-breaking dance and musical style that helped spark the civil right movement. www.candlewick.com/978153624687...

Southeast Wisconsin friends, please join me at Franklin Public Library for a presentation on my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: Thurs, Sept 18, 6:30 pm. Here's a chance to discover heroic role models at a time when we desperately need a few. www.franklinpubliclibrary.org/en-us/events...

Gwen Jorgensen planned to spend her life as an accountant, but an unexpected turn set her on the path to Olympic gold in triathlon. Read all about it in my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME (@whspress.bsky.social). youtube.com/shorts/aFAoQ...

Edna Ferber’s novels connected with American readers as sexual politics evolved in the early 20th century. In my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS, you learn that Ferber’s writing career almost went up in flames in an Appleton, Wisconsin, furnace. @whspress.bsky.social youtube.com/shorts/nylIZ...

RIP Jim Lovell, who pulled off one of the most daring recoveries in the annals of aviation during the Apollo 13 mission. I had a chance to interview the pioneering astronaut for a magazine article and included him in my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS. onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/the-miracle-...

Join me on a tour of ordinary spots where truly extraordinary things happened, based on my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS. See little-known places associated with Elvis Presley, Nirvana, Joni Mitchell, Chris Farley, Joyce Carol Oates and more. @whspress.bsky.social youtu.be/DO5h9DYL9sQ?...

Southeast Wisconsin friends, please join me at the Oconomowoc library for a presentation on my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS, hosted by Books & Company: Tuesday, July 29, 6 pm. I’ll tell little-known tales of heroic figures with surprising Wisconsin connections. booksco.com/event/2025-0...

Jazz genius Duke Ellington had one of the greatest experiences of his life in Wisconsin, and he wrote a composition called "Uwis" as a way of thanking the state and its people. This video is based on an essay from my book WISCONSIN IDOLS (@whspress.bsky.social). www.youtube.com/shorts/DFnmY...

Thanks to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and @jhiggy.bsky.social for choosing my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS as the Book of the Month! www.jsonline.com/story/life/2...

A lovely review of THE SHAPE OF THINGS: HOW MAPMAKERS PICTURE OUR WORLD in the News Tribune: "a great introduction to maps for young readers that would make an excellent supplementary text for teachers working on geography units." @aaknopf.bsky.social www.newstribune.com/news/2025/ju...

Madison friends, join me for a talk about my book WISCONSIN IDOLS on Tues, June 24, at the Wisconsin Historical Society's History Maker Space: U.S. Bank Plaza, 1 S. Pinckney St, 12:30 pm. I’ll discuss heroic figures with often surprising connections to the state, including Oprah and Elvis.

Thank you @vpalmquist.bsky.social!

How to find hope in seemingly hopeless times? Here’s an idea from my guest column in the @captimes.com, inspired by my book WISCONSIN IDOLS: tour the places associated with heroic figures in your state. I tried it in Wisconsin, communing with dozens of brave souls. captimes.com/opinion/gues...

Fox47 News came by to discuss my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS and my lifelong obsession with heroic figures. If you ever wondered what I look like in a Superman costume, click here. fox47.com/news/local/l...

My book WISCONSIN IDOLS includes an essay on the Beatles' memorable 1964 appearance in Milwaukee. In a peak moment of my Beatle-loving life, the book rose to #5 on Amazon in the category of “The Beatles.” Didn’t last long, but I’ll gaze at this screenshot till the day I die.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is featuring me in its #LookForwardWI campaign, which promotes the joys of living in the state. In a series of videos, I discuss my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS and my life as a writer. youtube.com/shorts/eLvCP...

Thanks to @wmtv15news.com for the chance to discuss Oprah Winfrey, the Beatles, Bob Dylan and other iconic figures featured in my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME. www.wmtv15news.com/video/2025/0...

For my presentation on WISCONSIN IDOLS at last weekend's Ridges and Rivers Book Festival, I read my essay on Elvis Presley’s “Last Miracle.” At the end of his life, Elvis regained his mojo long enough to dramatically stop a fight at a Madison gas station.

At Milwaukee’s Boswell Book Company, I shared little-known stories about Harrison Ford, Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey and Ann Landers in a presentation for my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME. A lovely crowd of fellow hero-worshippers!

The Milwaukee Shepherd Express interviewed me to preview my talk tonight at @boswellbooks.bsky.social for WISCONSIN IDOLS (April 23, 6:30 pm). “The book makes a case for Wisconsin as a notably influential place: a crossroads for people who changed the world.” shepherdexpress.com/culture/milw...

I spoke with @wuwmradio.bsky.social to preview my talk at Milwaukee’s @boswellbooks.bsky.social for WISCONSIN IDOLS (April 23, 6:30 pm). Hear about actress Hattie McDaniel’s dramatic rise to stardom via Milwaukee, plus the Chordettes’ path to “Mr. Sandman" via Sheboygan. www.wuwm.com/arts-culture...

I was on @tmj4.com to preview my talk at Milwaukee’s @boswellbooks.bsky.social for WISCONSIN IDOLS (Wed, April 23, 6:30 pm). Learn about legendary figures not usually associated with Wisconsin, like Harrison Ford & Jackie Robinson--plus a lesser-known WIZARD OF OZ star. www.tmj4.com/shows/the-mo...

[email protected] previews my talk on WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO SHAPED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME at @boswellbooks.bsky.social: Wed., April 23, 6:30 pm. An excerpt reveals how astronaut Jim Lovell developed his extraordinary self-reliance in Milwaukee. urbanmilwaukee.com/2025/04/16/b...

Join me for a talk on WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME at Milwaukee’s @boswellbooks.bsky.social: Wed., April 23, 6:30 pm. Hear little-known stories about heroes you know and discover new heroes to fall in love with. Click here: www.eventbrite.com/e/dean-robbi...

Thanks to all the Madison friends who came to last night’s launch event for my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME. Find the book here from @whspress.bsky.social: shop.wisconsinhistory.org/wisconsin-id...

I was on @channel3000.bsky.social's “Live at Four” to discuss my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME. Thanks to anchors Susan Siman and Brady Mallory for a fun chat about Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and other idols. www.channel3000.com/video/news-3...

Wisconsin Public Radio says my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS "makes the case for Wisconsin as a crossroads for trailblazers, newsmakers and glass-ceiling breakers." Click to hear my interview, which incorporates music by WISCONSIN IDOLS subjects Nirvana and Les Paul. www.wpr.org/news/wiscons...

"Gathers all of Robbins’s obsessions." Today's book pick from Damn History, a free monthly newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to author @deanrobbins.bsky.social & @whspress.bsky.social! Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe

The Wisconsin State Journal calls my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME “a series of elegant, vivid and revealing two-page vignettes about remarkable people.” madison.com/life-enterta...

@isthmusmadison.bsky.social on my new essay collection from @whspress.bsky.social: “With its diverse mix of memorable and inspiring stories, WISCONSIN IDOLS emerges as a balm for these troubled times.” isthmus.com/arts/books/w...

Madison friends, please join me for the book launch of WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD, AND ME at Mystery to Me on Tues, April 15, 6 pm. Hear little-known stories about legendary figures with surprising connections to Wisconsin. www.mysterytomebooks.com/dean-robbins...

Madison Magazine picked my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS as the Book of the Month, calling it “funny, poignant and well-researched.” The book features 100 stories about world-changing figures with sometimes surprising connections to Wisconsin. www.channel3000.com/madison-maga...

The @captimes.com on my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS: "Reading this book feels like sitting in a bar with the local who knows everything about everyone in town, except instead of hearing about neighborly disputes, the stories are about moments that shaped history." captimes.com/entertainmen...

It’s publication day for WISCONSIN IDOLS: 100 HEROES WHO CHANGED THE STATE, THE WORLD AND ME, my essay collection about heroic figures with sometimes surprising connections to Wisconsin: the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Oprah Winfrey and dozens of others. Click to learn more: deanrobbins.net/wisconsin-id...

Milwaukee Magazine on my new essay collection, WISCONSIN IDOLS: “Each short essay tells the story of these figures’ significance to Wisconsin with humor, wit, and reverence." Thanks to @rrovito.bsky.social for a fun interview! www.milwaukeemag.com/dean-robbins...

Women’s History Month—or really any month—is a good time to celebrate Viola Smith, known as The Fastest Girl Drummer in the World. My picture-book bio THE FASTEST DRUMMER was picked as one of 2024’s best children’s books by the Cooperative Children's Book Center. deanrobbins.net/fastest-drum...

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls my essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS "a passionate and poetic homage to one hundred musicians, artists, thinkers, entertainers and athletes." Today is the anniversary of the fateful coin-flip that brought Kareem to the Milwaukee Bucks: www.youtube.com/shorts/KLtF_...

My new essay collection WISCONSIN IDOLS offers a personal perspective on dozens of legendary figures with often surprising connections to the state. Learn more about heroes you know--Beatles, Oprah and others--and discover new heroes to fall in love with. shop.wisconsinhistory.org/wisconsin-id...

Observatory Hill was once known as a lovers’ lane, thanks to the hit song “It’s Dark on Observatory Hill.” See why the song’s romantic view of the UW–Madison campus inspired Mel Torme, the Lettermen and other famous vocalists. #FlashbackFriday onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/the-uw-lover...

thank you @stereogum.bsky.social 🫶🫶

“Salome” is out now :) a song about older men in music and wanting to run through the woods with a knife. ✨archetypal✨ Spring Grove is out 4/4 via @getbetterrecords.bsky.social !! produced by Julien Baker and engineered by Calvin Lauber video co-directed by Jo Shaffer and me

“Salome” comes out this Thursday 3/6 🔪🎱🕯 plus a video :) you can pre-save the whole album through our linktree or on our Spotify !