On Representation
By Nik Shultz Representation has been a hot socio-political topic for much of my life. As I have talked about before, I grew up in a fairly progressive home. I … Continue Reading On Representation
Blind Bag Style
By Nik Shultz About a year ago, as I was perusing the toy aisles at Walmart, as I am want to do, my roommate at the time pointed out something … Continue Reading Blind Bag Style
Miniatures
By Nik Shultz Baby shoes, travel shampoos, doll-sized washing machines, a tiny basket of Easter candy, children-sized tea cups, and cat beds shaped like little thrones or couches are all … Continue Reading Miniatures
American Girl Dolls
By Nik Shultz It’s been a moment since I wrote about a specific type of doll, so I’d like to talk about American Girl dolls. I think most Americans are … Continue Reading American Girl Dolls
Trends
By Nik Shultz I became aware of the idea of trends in early middle school. Although I wasn’t aware of any name for the phenomenon. Children ask a lot of … Continue Reading Trends
On Gender
By Nik Shultz Disclaimer: While I would consider myself to be a student of this subject, being trans and a Women and Gender Studies student, I don’t pretend to have … Continue Reading On Gender
Animals and Empathy
By Nik Shultz One of my favorite toys as a child were Littlest Pet Shop pets. I had, and continue to have, quite a collection of the small cartoonish animals. … Continue Reading Animals and Empathy
Comfort Objects
By Nik Shultz I am taking a break from talking about dolls now, on account of the contest we are currently holding. If you haven’t seen we are accepting writing … Continue Reading Comfort Objects
High School Fashion Dolls
By Nik Shultz When I was just about the age when it was no longer cool to care about dolls, Monster High dolls came out, creating a phenomenon that I … Continue Reading High School Fashion Dolls
A History
By Nik Shultz So by now you might have a sense of my history with dolls, but you still might be confused about why I find them interesting. Let’s look … Continue Reading A History
An Explanation
By Nik Shultz So you might be wondering, Why dolls? But before I can answer that question I think I need to give a bit of backstory. I never quite … Continue Reading An Explanation
Hello from the Dollhouse: An Introduction
Meet our new editor of The River for the Spring 2021 semester!
Love, Sweetpea
By Emalyn Remington Without a doubt, Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous painting is Starry Night. It was Rob’s favorite for sure, and while I do really love it, I prefer … Continue Reading Love, Sweetpea
I’m Gonna Watch You Shine, Gonna Watch You Grow.
By, Emalyn Remington My dad didn’t get to read this poem. We talked about me writing it, but I kept putting it off. Maybe it was because the idea of … Continue Reading I’m Gonna Watch You Shine, Gonna Watch You Grow.
Mask Musings
Take off that damn mask, a man says. He takes another step forward, having asked me a question and straining to hear. His speech is quick and loud, his body … Continue Reading Mask Musings
Cold Turkey
by Emalyn Remington I want to share a holiday anecdote with you. It was November 1999: my first Thanksgiving. I was around eight months old and my parents decided that … Continue Reading Cold Turkey