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!