139: It Takes Two: Isabel and Nicki
Dolls of Our Lives
For our final episode, we took some twinspiration from the newest historical AGs: Isabel and Nicki Hoffman. When we meet Isabel, she is trying to perfect her Spice Girls choreography in time for a performance on New Year's Eve. Nicki, on the other hand, is learning how to make zines and skateboarding around Seattle. Both girls are struggling with sharing a bedroom, defining Girl Power, and the threat of a Y2K meltdown. We talk about twin tropes, our own pop culture memories from 1999, and the portrayal of Seattle in the book Finally, we wrap up by answering listener questions (Does Mary still...
info_outline
138: Courtney: Friendship Superhero and American Girl Consumer
Dolls of Our Lives
It's 1986, and Courtney Moore's summer break is off to a great start. After participating in Hands Across America, she's ready to hit the arcade, read her American Girl catalogue, and make new friends, including a boy named Isaac. But Courtney faces unexpected challenges when she hits the books that fall. When others learn that Isaac is HIV positive, he is forced to leave Courtney's school. For this episode, we brought in an expert to talk about Courtney's ensuing public health campaign and what someone her age would have known about the HIV crisis in the mid-1980s. Our special guest Myrna...
info_outline
137: From the Archives: Meet Felicity
Dolls of Our Lives
Join us as we travel back in time to our first episode! We’ll be back on April 1 with the second Courtney book (and a special guest!) Until then, enjoy younger versions of us when we were still learning how to podcast (but had timeless takes on Justin Timberlake). Subscribe to Mary’s newsletter, Landline, here: You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: Support us on Patreon: Order our book: Order our audiobook: Check out books we mention at our We love to hear from you! Drop us a line Follow us on social media: Instagram...
info_outline
136: Ms. Pac-Man: Courtney Changes the Game
Dolls of Our Lives
Do you think of yourself as part of history? What about the Care Bears and Ms. Pac-Man? When American Girl first revealed that there would be a new historical character set in 1986, we were in shock. Having recovered from that surprise, we were delighted to meet the young person behind the bop "Hey Courtney." Through Courtney Changes the Game, we meet Courtney Moore, a nine-year-old living in California who loves gaming, space travel, and recycling. We discuss Courtney's family dynamics, presidential history in the book, and the shock of the Challenger explosion in early 1986. ...
info_outline
135: On the Road: Adventures with Claudie
Dolls of Our Lives
It's time for another American Girl road trip! In the second Claudie book, Brit Bennett takes us from Claudie's neighborhood in Harlem to her grandmother's house in Shellman, Georgia. Along the way, Claudie learns that there are different "rules" about living in the South and the North. She also sees a new side of her mother, an investigative journalist inspired by Ida B. Wells-Barnett. When Claudie returns to Harlem, she takes one of her grandmother's stories with her and offers an uplifting finale at the boardinghouse benefit concert. We discuss both of Claudie’s worlds and a bit about...
info_outline
134: Hoops: Basketballs and Barriers
Dolls of Our Lives
To round out our Julie coverage, we read something we think she would love: Matt Tavares’s Hoops. This graphic novel (based on a true story) follows an Indiana girls’ basketball team’s first season post-Title IX. We discuss the characters’ activism on and off the courts--and the ways that sexism persists in sports today. This episode also includes a recap of the Julie videos, her days as a baller, and of course, our overall take on the Julie series. Resources: You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: Support us on Patreon: ...
info_outline
133: Crossover Episode: Meet Kate Kennedy
Dolls of Our Lives
On this episode, we chat with podcaster and pop culture critic Kate Kennedy. Kate is the author of One in a Millennial, a fresh new take on millennial culture (that also comes out this week). We talk about Kate’s early interest in American Girl and the process of writing her life story (thus far). Kate shares what it's been like to return to her childhood faves and what she’s learned along the way about girlhood and growing up. If you have *~ thoughts *~ On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In ~ you will want to get cozy on a 90s daybed and put this episode on a burned CD (via...
info_outline
132: You asked, We answered! A Book Q&A Episode (Patreon Preview)
Dolls of Our Lives
Happy 2024! While we take a break this week, we’re sharing a patreon ep from November where we answered patron questions about our book! Our patreon is a fun space where we share an extra listener-inspired episode per month, and offer access to our active discord community! Thanks to everyone who has bought, read, and shared our book! We love hearing from you and seeing your posts about it. Thanks for all of your support! We so appreciate this community! Resources: You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: Support us on Patreon: Order...
info_outline
131: The Hustle: Puzzle of the Paper Daughter, A Julie Mystery
Dolls of Our Lives
We've already been through a lot with Julie Albright--but when a book promises a disco dance, we are in for the ride (and a mystery). In this episode, we travel with Julie to Chinatown and learn how to solve a crime after dinnertime. While reeling from roommate news and the discovery of a puzzling note, Julie has enough on her plate when she decides to visit The Happy Panda, Ivy's family's restaurant. Following a great meal, the plot thickens when Julie and Ivy's beloved dolls go missing. Never one to ignore an injustice, Julie is inspired to launch an investigation. Both Julie and Ivy get...
info_outline
130: Votes for Women and Changes for Julie
Dolls of Our Lives
Julie Albright knows that few things are fair in fifth grade. Yet, even Julie is shocked to receive detention after passing a note and helping her new friend, Joy, in the classroom. On the heels of a useless afternoon in detention, Julie decides to run for office. While battling a fierce opponent promising time off and pizza parties, Julie also has to learn how to be a good friend and ally to Joy, who is mocked for being deaf. We discuss Julie's various activist streaks across all the books, the prevalent nostalgia for other days (mostly the 1950s) in this book, and representations of...
info_outlineThank you to all of our listeners! We so appreciate all of you, and the community we've made together. Thank you for being a friend!
Resources:
You can find episodes, resources, and a link to our merch store and patreon on our website: dollsofourlivespod.com
Order our book: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl
Order our audiobook: Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl (Digital Audio)
You can subscribe to Mary's newsletter, Landline, here: https://marymmahoney.substack.com/
Check out books we mention at our bookshop.org storefront.
We love to hear from you! Drop us a line [email protected]
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