Essays
- The Prophets: Mary Ware Dennett
Sharon Spaulding’s Smithsonian article about Dennett is quoted in this story by The Free Press senior editor, Emily Yoffee. - If the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Met the Dynamic Mrs. Dennett—Sex Ed And Censorship Would Be So 20th Century
From 1915 through the 1930s, Mary Ware Dennett’s pioneering battles against U.S. government censorship helped pave the way for the freedom of speech Midge Maisel relies on and fights to expand. - The Sex Education Pamphlet That Sparked a Landmark Censorship Case
It only took 42 minutes for an all-male jury to convict Mary Ware Dennett. Her crime? Sending a sex education pamphlet through the mail. - Mary Ware Dennett’s Rescued History
There’s an emotional angst and urgency swirling in my soul. It’s a nagging sense of obligation and a question every time I look under my bed or open my basement closets: “To toss or not to toss?”
Interviews
- Remembering Mary Ware Dennett
Following her talk at Chase’s Mill in the summer of 2022 in Alstead, NH, Sharon Spaulding was interviewed by Russ Immarigeon about Mary Ware Dennett for The Columbia Paper. - Professor Buzzkill
Sharon recently appeared on Professor Buzzkill’s History podcast for Woman Crush Wednesday to talk about Mary Ware Dennett. You can listen to the show here on the website, or download it to listen later. You can also find Professor Buzzkill on all your favorite podcast apps! - Why A Pro Never Does Her Own Promo
Marketing pro Sharon Spaulding has promoted tech startups, authors, international nonprofits,Fortune 50 companies and celebrities. But when it came to promoting herself—establishing herauthor brand, building a platform, and cultivating a devoted following of readers—she wasflummoxed.
Keynotes & Talks
Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Battle for Reproductive Rights in the early 20th Century with Stephanie Gorton, author of The Icon & the Idealist, August 1, 2025, Chase’s Mill, Alstead, New Hampshire.
The Icon and The Idealist, with author Stephanie Gorton, The King’s English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, February 22, 2025.
Be a changemaker! Girl Scouts, Salt Lake City Troop, April 25, 2023
Sex Education & Reproductive Rights: Mary Ware Dennett’s Pioneering Battle for Freedom of Information, League of Women Voters, Night Owls, Salt Lake City Chapter, April 24, 2023
Market Your Book with a Podcast: with Grant Faulkner and Brooke Warner, Moderator, San Francisco Writers Conference, February 16 – 19, 2023
Choosing Your Author Support Team, Moderator, San Francisco Writers Conference, February 16 – 19, 2023
Women Make History: Mary Ware Dennett & Other Stories We Should Have Learned in School The Town Club of Salt Lake City, November 9, 2022
Mary Ware Dennett, Dr. Gladys West, Zitkala-Sa: Stories We Should Have Learned in School Women’s Group, Salt Lake City, September 13, 2022
Authors Spill the Tea: The Truth about Platform, Publicity, & Book Sales, Panelist, San Francisco Writers Conference, July 21-24, 2022
Mary Ware Dennett & Anthony Comstock: A Brief History of Birth Control Laws, Chase’s Mill, Alstead, NH, July 16, 2022
Women Make History: Mary Ware Dennett & Other Stories We Should Have Learned In School,
Community of Grace Presbyterian Church, Women’s Group, May 22, 2022
Mary Ware Dennett In Mill Hollow, Chase’s Mill, Alstead, NH, Summer 2022
A Sense of Place, Online Series exploring the history, art, and culture of Alstead, NH, Host & Producer of the series:
- Poetry & Music from the “Holler”, June 30, 2020
- Water Works with Bob Brown and Helen Frink, July 28, 2020
- Mary Ware Dennett: Suffragist, Reproductive Rights Activist, October 27, 2020
- Breaking Bread with Noah Elbers, founder, Orhard Hill Breadworks, December 1, 2020
Videos
Artist. Writer. Suffragist. Champion of Free Speech. Advocate for Honesty in Sex Education. Meet Mary Ware Dennett (1872-1947)
Join Sharon in an engaging discussion with historian Dr. Helen Frink about the amazing legacy and lasting impact of the incredible Mary Ware Dennett.
At Joanna Dennett’s house, sorting her library and vast collection of books that belonged to her grandmother, Mary Ware Dennett.
As a child, Mary had one ambition: make the world a better place through her artwork. See some examples of what she created.
I married into Dennett’s family and she quickly became part of mine. It began by reading her most private letters that had been stored in steamer trunks.
In 1929 in a landmark trial, Mary Ware Dennett’s sex-education pamphlet for teens was declared “obsene” by the U.S. government.