“Denise Kiernan delivered one of the most enthusiastically received lectures the West Virginia Humanities Council has ever hosted. As our 2019 McCreight Lecturer in the Humanities, Kiernan spoke from “The Girls Of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II.” Like her writing, her presentation was lively, funny, engaged and engaging, ferociously learned, and riveting throughout. In a 25-year speaker series that has hosted Ken Burns, Jill Lepore, Azir Nafisi, Joyce Carol Oates, Henry Louis Gates, and many other guests of international reputation, Kiernan was a standout—and a clear crowd favorite to boot. ”

“She has a real gift for connecting with her audience—not an easy task...The consensus of the people I’ve talked to who are series “regulars” is that she is at the very top of all the many speakers in the entire eleven-year history of the program—a sentiment with which I fully concur. ”

“Denise’s love of history really shines in her exceptional presentation on the Vanderbilts and Biltmore House. She knows how to tell engaging stories that emphasize the human connection without overwhelming the audience with her extensive expertise. Denise is knowledgeable, funny and wonderfully charming as she makes history come to life.”

“Denise was our morning opening speaker and did a fabulous job... Denise was able to build a connection with the attendees and brought her stories to life through her words and illustrations.”

“Denise has not only written a fascinating book, she is a wonderful speaker. She drew a large audience for her talk at the Carter Presidential Library and the audience loved her presentation.”

“She was a delight and exactly what the Dillon Lecture Series
likes to provide as a speaker.”

“I have heard nothing but positive comments about her talk and there will be many readers encouraged to delve into her two masterpieces! ”

“Denise was a wonderful speaker here today at Town Hall. She is a special lady with a gift of being able to tell a great story! We loved it! ”