Dean Robbins
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deanrobbins.bsky.social
Dean Robbins
@deanrobbins.bsky.social
320 followers 790 following 60 posts
Author of nonfiction children's books for Scholastic, Penguin Random House, Candlewick and Macmillan. Margaret and the Moon, The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon, The Fastest Drummer, Two Friends, The Shape of Things, the You Are a Star series, and more.
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deanrobbins.bsky.social
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.
October 27, 2025 at 5:26 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
.@carriecoon.bsky.social 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...
Wisconsin Trained Actress Carrie Coon!
YouTube video by Wisconsin Historical Society Press
youtube.com
October 3, 2025 at 10:19 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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.

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Chris Farley's Wisconsin Roots
YouTube video by Wisconsin Historical Society Press
youtube.com
September 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance That Crossed Color Lines - Candlewick Press
“The Spanish text is both conversational and informative, liberally using such words as ‘giraban,’ ‘vibraban,’ and ‘meneaba,’ which will allow...
www.candlewick.com
September 18, 2025 at 5:35 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
Franklin Public Library - Events -> Wisconsin Idols: 100 Heroes Who Changed the State, the World, and Me
Franklin Public Library offers free programs for all ages.
www.franklinpubliclibrary.org
September 15, 2025 at 5:24 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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).

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Gwen Jorgensen - Wisconsin Idols
YouTube video by Wisconsin Historical Society Press
youtube.com
August 20, 2025 at 9:14 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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
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Edna Ferber's Birthday
YouTube video by Wisconsin Historical Society Press
youtube.com
August 19, 2025 at 5:56 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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-...
The Miracle of Apollo 13 | On Wisconsin
How Jim Lovell x'50 pulled off NASA’s most daring recovery.
onwisconsin.uwalumni.com
August 8, 2025 at 9:25 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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
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Madison’s Walk of Fame with Author Dean Robbins
YouTube video by Wisconsin Historical Society Press
youtu.be
August 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
Dean Robbins at the Oconomowoc Public Library
booksco.com
July 24, 2025 at 3:57 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
Duke Ellington - Wisconsin Idols
YouTube video by Wisconsin Historical Society Press
www.youtube.com
July 23, 2025 at 5:21 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
Wisconsin Book of the Month: Who's included in this list of 100 'Wisconsin Idols'?
In "Wisconsin Idols," Dean Robbins appreciates 100 artists, thinkers and pioneers who had some impact on the state or himself.
www.jsonline.com
July 9, 2025 at 7:13 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
July 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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.
June 16, 2025 at 5:16 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
Thank you @vpalmquist.bsky.social!
vpalmquist.bsky.social Vicki Palmquist @vpalmquist.bsky.social · Jun 3
Dean Robbins isn’t your ordinary biographer. He shares little known facts in a conversant style that invites you to sit around the campfire trading stories. #Wisconsin #biographies #biography @deanrobbins.bsky.social Read the recommendation: bit.ly/457DIoe
Wisconsin Idols by Dean Robbins
June 16, 2025 at 4:26 PM
deanrobbins.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...
Opinion | We have met our heroes, and they are us
In a nation starved for heroes, I found that examples of ordinary people doing heroic things abound right here in Wisconsin.
captimes.com
May 28, 2025 at 4:40 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
Local author shares his 'Wisconsin Idols'
When you're out walking, do you ever wonder, 'who was here before me?' Dean Robbins has asked and answered that question. Even the most seemingly uninspiring se
fox47.com
May 16, 2025 at 5:11 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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.
May 12, 2025 at 4:30 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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.

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Dean Robbins career in Wisconsin. #Shorts #YouTubeShorts
YouTube video by LookForwardWI
youtube.com
May 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
Madison-based author publishes book called ’Wisconsin Idols’
A Madison-based author just published a new book about one hundred prominent figures who have left their mark on Wisconsin and beyond.
www.wmtv15news.com
April 30, 2025 at 4:04 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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.
April 28, 2025 at 5:45 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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!
April 25, 2025 at 5:10 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
Wisconsin Writer Explores ‘100 Heroes’ Who Changed the World
The author of Wisconsin Idols takes “a fresh look at famous Wisconsin residents who’d made a mark in the wider world.”
shepherdexpress.com
April 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
World legends with Wisconsin roots explored in new book, 'Wisconsin Idols'
From the famous to the little-known, Robbins hopes readers can appreciate how Wisconsin has been a crossroad for people who have changed the world.
www.wuwm.com
April 22, 2025 at 5:09 PM
deanrobbins.bsky.social
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...
100 Heroes Who Changed the State, the World, and Me
Wisconsin Idols highlights surprising, little-known stories of legendary figures who either lived in or passed through Wisconsin, selected using a deeply personal lens.
www.tmj4.com
April 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM