Dolls of Our Lives

Latest Episodes:

67: From Borders to Borderlands: A Conversation with Colette Denali Montoya-Sloan Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

On this episode, we're joined by Colette Denali Montoya-Sloan, a member of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Pueblo of San Felipe. A librarian interested in oral history and issues of Indigenous identity, Colette shared a wealth of experiences with us in this fun conversation! We heard about her earliest memories of American Girl, her first introduction to Kaya, and what she makes of Kaya's story now as an adult collector exploring questions of identity and narrative in her excellent Inky Marina blog (https://blog.inkymarina.com/) and Instagram account (@inkymarina). This episode will leave you with lots of great reading recs, resources, and questions, including what music should be played at Borders? You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

66: Through the Fire: Changes for Kaya Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

Kaya has seen fire, she’s seen Speaking Rain, and finally, she sees Steps High again. While the final Kaya book brings change and some closure, that's not all--and really, what would a Kaya book be without some chaos? Forget being born in a cross-fire hurricane. In the final chapters, our hero endures yet another disaster, and goes through a wildfire, for her horse Steps High. Kaya once again rises to the occasion, saving her horse and learning some more lessons from her grandmother along the way. We discuss the overall trajectory of this series and the extra-long Peek into the Past on Nez Perce history. This episode also includes recent Free Britney updates. You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

65: Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls: Kaya Shows the Way Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

Nan, Clara, Jill… we’ve met our fair share of American Girl sisters by this point. In this episode, we cover Kaya Shows the Way, which is billed as “A Sister Story.” While Kaya and her family are fishing for salmon, her sisters start to take two different paths. As Kaya takes notes on how Brown Deer is courting and preparing for marriage, Speaking Rain returns with an announcement about a vow of her own. We discuss these family dynamics, Kaya’s continued water safety issues, and what it means to go chasing waterfalls during salmon season. You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

64: A Girl's Best Friend: Kaya and Lone Dog May 31, 2021

Show notes

In the fourth Kaya book, we are not treated to an ahistorical birthday party. Instead, a new canine friend enters the American Girl universe and brings some much-needed joy to Kaya. While struggling to deal with the loss of Swan Circling and her sister’s ongoing captivity, Kaya meets Lone Dog, an animal who changes her life, and possibly ours. As we quickly learn, Kaya's dilemma is less “who let the dogs out?” and more “can this dog come in?” In this story, Kaya also has to grapple with scary visions for the future and of course, self-doubt. Come for the discussion of animal life in Nez Perce culture--and stay for the aftermath of our alarming realization that this book is older than Olivia Rodrigo. You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

63: Then a Hero Comes Along: Kaya Part Three May 17, 2021

Show notes

Just one year after Mr. Enrique Iglesias asked: "would you dance if I asked you to dance?" Janet Shaw penned a heroic tale for the ages. In "Kaya's Hero" (2002) we meet Swan Circling, a brave woman Kaya deeply admires. When a baby falls ill, Swan Circling heroically steps in. This is a spoiler-free zone, but listeners should be prepared (unfortunately) for more tragedy in the Kaya journey. During our discussion, we talk namesakes, personal heroes, and the importance of mentorship. We also learn that sometimes, "a hero lies in you"-- yes that means you, Kaya. Examine the earliest documented Nez Perce saddle from the Spalding-Allen Collection: https://plateauportal.libraries.wsu.edu/digital-heritage/nez-perce-womans-saddle Native American History: A Tale of Medicine: http://www.thedifferentialdx.com/native-american-history-a-tale-of-medicine/ You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

62: The One Where Kaya Learns Many Lessons: Kaya’s Escape May 03, 2021

Show notes

In the second Kaya book, the American Girl team breaks format, and also places our protagonist in great danger. Instead of learning just one big lesson, Kaya learns many. After Kaya and her sister are kidnapped, Kaya has to use her smarts to plot an escape. Our coverage discusses Kaya’s enslavement and what this book teaches us about 18c life for Kaya’s people. We also shed light on the team behind these books and discuss alternative narratives by indigenous authors. Finally, we consider the relevance of Rutherford Falls and Rebecca Black’s ten-year anniversary remix of Friday. An important word about content for our listeners: this book features upsetting themes including kidnapping, slavery, animal abuse, and threats of violence. We discuss these themes in the context of the book and history. You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

61: How to Save a Life: Meet Kaya Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

This episode finds us deep in two distant and distinct time periods: the 18th century and the year 2002. Set in 1764, Meet Kaya (2002) features a strong girl from the Nimiipuu people (also known as the Nez Perce tribe). Kaya enjoys riding her horse and being with her family. Though Kaya's stories don't follow the same arc as other American Girls, trust us that this book has a bit of everything, including lessons on "boasting," weaving, how to shed undesirable nicknames, and racing ambitions. Moving at a classic Janet Shaw warp speed, Kaya and her horse Steps High ALSO step up and save the day, well before book six. Join us as we go back in time (again) and for the first time, go beyond the OGAG six whose stories we knew well. Together, we try to learn what Beforever means as we puzzle over the year that gave us both the Justin/Britney breakup and this character billed as the "first American Girl." You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

60: Amelia's Diary, Our Childhoods Apr 05, 2021

Show notes

Earhart. Bones. Thermopolis. Bedelia. In the great tradition of people named Amelia, one diarist from the mid-1990s stands alone. With her handy composition notebook, Amelia could keep track of the latest gossip, her family’s major move, and her growing interest in drawing noses. For this episode, we re-read Amelia's Notebook (1995) by Amelia (she's like Cher) and the one and only Marissa Moss. In addition to a careful study of each beautifully illustrated notebook page, we also plunged back into some of the vintage Amelia material published in the American Girl magazine. Of course, this episode also covers springtime treats, the early 2000s American Girl website, and an Amelia quiz. Grab an AOL disc, some colored pencils, and get ready for a dive in to a series of notebooks you have not thought about in 20 years but won’t soon forget. You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

59: Miss Victory Belle with J.Mix Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

What is it like to serenade World War II veterans and perform patriotic tunes for tourists? J.Mix, a dialectic creative artist from New Orleans, answered that question and many more for us in this episode. J.Mix developed a deep knowledge of WWII during her time as a singer and dancer with the Victory Belles. This is a 1940s inspired/Miss Victory style vocal act that pays tribute to servicemembers. While she was with the Belles, J. Mix was an employee of the National WWII Museum, a multi-million dollar business in Louisiana. Now, J. Mix is a leader in the movement to dismantle the museum. Together with other community activists, J. Mix works to raise awareness of discrimination within the museum, to push for greater accountability among stakeholders, and to create a more just representation of all people who sacrificed during the war. She also finds time to joyfully rollerskate and make her own podcast, The Self Aware Millennial. Follow and support her work @JMixPlainsItAll, @DismantleWWIIM, and @TheSelfAwareMillennial. Learn more about the Open Letter to the World War II Museum here: #DismantleNWWIIM - Open Letter (google.com). You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

58: Molly's World and Historical Memory Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

What would Molly McIntire have known about the Holocaust? For this episode, we talked with Leah Sauter, a teacher and translator whose speciality is Holocaust history. Drawing upon her extensive work with survivor testimony and newspapers, Leah provided us with insight into anti-semitism in the United States and censorship in mainstream US media in the 1940s. Though Molly's books include just a few sentences on the Jewish experience during World War II, as Leah discusses in this episode, there are plenty of other sources that center Jewish resistance and a fuller picture of the war. Leah also shares advice on which movies and books on the Holocaust to avoid. If you've been wondering what was left out (or wrong) in the Peek into the Past sections of Molly's canon books and supplementals, this one is a must-listen. You may find Leah at @peculiarleah on Instagram; she is also an active flaired user on r/askhistorians. You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/dollsofourlivespod We love to hear from you! Drop us a line dollsofourlivespod@gmail.com Follow us on social media: Instagram -@dollsofourlivespodcast Twitter - @dollslivespod Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DollsOfOurLivesPod/ Follow Allison on Twitter and Instagram @allisonhorrocks Follow Mary @mimimahoney (Instagram) or @marymahoney123 (Twitter) Need a source of calm in your day? Listeners will get a free audiobook when you start a new monthly Libro.fm membership for $14.99 a month. You'll get two audiobooks for the price of one in your first month as a member. Valid in the US and Canada.Subscribe to Libro FM! Choose from over 150,000 audiobooks and even support your local bookstore with your purchases as a member. To sign up, use code DOLLS or this link: https://tidd.ly/3EwqiF5

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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