Dolls of Our Lives

Buckle up for a real ride. We're taking you on an Alcott odyssey. First, we talk about the latest film adaptation of Little Women and ponder questions like: why didn't Greta Gerwig win ....everything? Is Thoreau a precursor to tiny house builders everywhere? We play a spirited game of scam or real Bronson Alcott business endeavor, and perhaps most importantly, report on recent communications by Co...

Ashlee Simpson may have gifted us with her "Autobiography," but on this episode we take a deep dive into Jessica Simpson's latest memoir, Open Book. We discuss memoir as a form, Newlyweds, the Nick Lachey of it all, the toxicity that is John Mayer, and more.   Original air date: May 29, 2020 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#...

This month we read The Age of Phillis by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. This book of poetry examines the inner life and historical worlds of Phillis Wheatley Peters. Jeffers first learned of Phillis in school as one of America’s firsts. In this telling of Phillis’s story, Jeffers begins in West Africa, with the life that came before Phillis was an enslaved poet in Boston. Using historical research, Jeff...

“Shine bright like a diamond / Find light in the beautiful sea / I choose to be happy…” Did you know that these lyrics were written about The Mystery At Lilac Inn, the fourth Nancy Drew mystery? Ok, before you call Rihanna on us, we know that they're not. However, we do hope that you'll still stand with us under a proverbial umbrella for a re-read of a Nancy Drew classic*. In this bizarrely action...

When author Frances McNamara isn't "sailing on the Charles River in Boston or beaching on Cape Cod," she's dropping red herrings & killing characters living in 1890s Chicago. Join us as we talk about "Death at Hull House," McNamara's second Emily Cabot Mystery. This former librarian has a brand (Progressive-era crime solving in Illinois) and we respect it. Grab a spare chair from a settlement...

Picture it: you are sitting in a doctor's office some time in your childhood. What magazine is strewn about the waiting area? For this episode, we tackled a publication that is probably tucked away in the recesses of your memory bank: Highlights Magazine.  For decades, young people have sent letters to Highlights, a magazine especially designed by psychologists for kids*.* Some of these letters ha...

This month we tackled a much-requested book: Esther Forbes's  Johnny Tremain (1943). For some authors, winning a Newbery Medal would be enough. Others might dip out after a Pulitzer Prize. Esther Forbes won a Newbery and a Pulitzer within a few years--all while a war was on. During this episode, we discuss Forbes's fascinating career (read as: obsession with Paul Revere). Against this backdrop, we...

. . . .Well, we seem to have not remembered and this story may have tested our patience. In this episode, we re-read the first Dear America book, set on and off the Mayflower in 1620-1621. Protagonist/diarist Remember a.k.a."Mem" experiences a lot of hardship and seasickness in this 1996 ribboned classic. She gets jealous when her friend is the "first" to step on Plymouth Rock and that's just the...

On this episode, we talk the first Babysitter's Club book and the latest Netflix adaptation. We talk about which member of the BSC we identified with as young readers and how we feel now, and much more. This episode is dedicated to Grandma Mimi, forever prom queen. Due to Covid restrictions, we were not able to record this in Stoneybrook, CT.   Original air date: July 24, 2020 See Privacy Policy a...

People often say that fame comes with a price. But how high should that price be, especially for women? This month, we read Sarah Ditum's  Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s, a pop history book that explores this question. Through Toxic , Ditum re-evaluates the lives and careers of nine women who made headlines in the period she calls the "upskirt decade" or "tabloid 2000s." From Britney Sp...

Writer Kaitlyn Tiffany is a smart culture critic, podcasts host, and longtime fan of One Direction. All of these things are almost equally relevant to our episode this month. Her new book, Everything I Need I Get From You, offers insight into the idea of the screaming female fan, from Beatlemania to the present. Tiffany, a longtime follower of 1D, asks important questions about the internet and wh...

This episode, we're going to a place where the lights are bright, the music is dim, and everything smells vaguely like cookies, pretzels, and overpriced lotions. That's right, we're going to the mall. Despite many predictions of near death, the mall is alive and well in many parts of the USA (and parts of the world). For this episode, we discuss Alexandra Lange's 2022 book Meet Me by the Fountain:...

Just over 100 years ago, W. E. B. Du Bois created a magazine just for children.  The Brownies’ Book :  A Monthly Magazine for Children of the Sun  reached thousands of children in the early 1920s...including (the fictional) Claudie Wells. For this month's episode, we reviewed a 2023 tribute to  The Brownies' Book  curated by a team of scholars and artists. Their  Love Letter to Black Families  inc...

There may be a timeline where we do not cover Britney Spears's new autobiography. But this is not that timeline--and in this universe, our  December 2023 Patreon episode is all about The Woman in Me. We talk about the highlights from Britney's book that have already gotten the most media attention (namely, a boy band member's indiscretions). But we also dive into the less discussed, yet profound a...

Filing cabinet fans, here we go! For this Patreon episode, we are diving right into the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. This 1967 classic features the Kincaid kids, who just need a break from home — and the allure of solving an art mystery. Whether you really love hanging files, eccentric older people, or beds in museums, this book has a little bit of something for everyone (and a cha...

Join us in exploring the magic that is The Witch of Blackbird Pond! We take you into author Elizabeth George Speare's world (1958) and her take on Connecticut Colony (circa 1680s). Trees will be used to harbor important charters, Quaker heroes will hide out by the town pond, and one spunky Kit will win you over as she avoids legal charges for witchcraft. Light a pumpkin spice candle and grab your...

For this year's October Patreon, we chose a topic that can be truly scary: revisiting high school. A lot of people have turned to sitcoms to see what their teenage years might be like. With her latest book, journalist Thea Glassman makes a case for the importance of teen dramas such as  Dawson's Creek, Glee,  and  The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  In revisiting seven hit shows from the late 1990s/earl...

This Pride month, we chose to cover three biographical projects that focus on Black queer experiences. First, we talk about two different approaches to presenting the life of Marsha P. Johnson, an important activist involved in the 1969 uprising at the Stonewall Inn. With the Drunk History episode " Marsha P. Johnson Sparks the Stonewall Riots," and the short film " Happy Birthday, Marsha! " we se...

Do you remember this classic novel by Karen Cushman? Set in the Middle Ages, The Midwife’s Apprentice is about a girl named Alyce who is anything but mid. In spite of many challenges, starting with the fact that she sleeps in a dung-pile, Alyce finds her way in the world (and makes a few friends) while learning to be a midwife. We talk about our own medieval times, the transmission of medical know...

Clear your calendars. Burn a chakra candle. Prepare yourself for the greatest love story that never needed to be told. Join us as we tackle Ann Rinaldi's first and most unforgettable historical romance: Time Enough for Drums (1986). The cover poses the question: "Can Jem ever love a Tory?" Please trust us that this will be the lowest on your list of questions after following along with our Rinaldi...

For this monthly, we read Judy Blume’s iconic novel about faith and girlhood. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret may be from the 70s, but we found it to be a relevant and fun read as 90s girls. Protagonist Margaret is a curious and thoughtful pre-teen who has recently moved to a new suburb with her parents. Throughout the book, Margaret navigates questions about religion and her body while talki...

In October, we set out one morning for NYC to take a VIP tour of the American Girl Store. What happened next cannot be described in a mere text box. Did we do a photoshoot on a train? Did we learn about a heretofore unknown to us diagnosis? Did we read the main floor display of the store through the lens of 90s figure skating? Listen as we explore the store, visit the doll hospital, fix a hair cri...

In 1951, Sydney Taylor introduced All-of-a-Kind Family to the world. Her novel about a Jewish family living on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century features five American girls: Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie. These tight-knit sisters love to read, eat candy, and occasionally, dust for their mother. We talk about our (first) read of Taylor's book, which holds up all these years...

Lois Lowry has written more than 40 books. As of this month, she is also featured in half of our 2021 Patreon episodes. This is incidentally very close to the total number of surviving Shakers. Just in time for spring, we read Lowry's Like the Willow Tree, a Dear America journey for the ages. Based on meticulous research at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community, this book features a young diarist n...

For our twelfth Patreon episode, we chose the memoir of a modern diva and one of the most accomplished recording artists of all time. Join us as we consider The Meaning of Mariah Carey (2020) - an autobiography and fascinating portrait of race and fame in modern America. Why did Mariah have to sneak out to Burger King? What’s the deal with Carson Daly? Is Mariah the Queen of Christmas? We consider...