بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

Dawn’s back in California, surfing, and SOLVING A MURDER?!? (We can only hope that this series has taken a Law & Order turn.) Thrash’s board shows up and he’s gone! What are they gonna do? Emily talks about surfers’ political work in the eighties and nineties, Esme talks about separation anxiety and sports psychology, and Anne schools us on JAMS! S…

Did you guys know that Stacey is really gorgeous and has an amazing physique? Well, she does. So both RJ Blaser and Robert Brewster are falling all over themselves for her and she decides to try out for the cheerleading team (and thus, for membership in “The Group”). Esme talks about middle school cliques and their influence and Anne and Emily brin…

Mal is felled by mono! No kissing for this girl, just disease and a forced break from the BSC. We discuss the increased risk of depression with mono, settler colonialism, and the Quiz Show scandal from the 1950s. Who doesn’t love Snoopy? Also, this is book SIXTY-NINE. Just sayin’. FYI Links: Mono Puts You at Risk for Depression 1960s Geritol Commer…

Claudia is truly living her best life in this one! Meet a famous artist she adores? Check. Attend a fancy museum party in one of Mimi’s kimonos? Check. Catch a thief in the process of an actual museum heist? Check! It’s a fun romp as the New Museum of Stoneybrook takes the town by storm and our girls (led by Claud of course!) catch the culprit! We …

Jessi invites Wendy to replace Dawn and she… acts 11? But also just doesn’t want to work so hard. Same girl. Anne tells us about another white man who stole some stuff while Emily explains taxation to us (again!). Also, can Anne name 100 candies? FYI Links: Monopoly's Progressive Origins The Money-Empathy Gap…

Dawn is homesick and it’s Not. Going. Away. Spoiler: she’s leaving for six months. How will the BSC survive? Also, can Stoneybrook beat Lawrenceville in the Run For Your Money? Join us to find out! Emily talks about families again, Esme talks about ambivalence, and Anne FINALLY GETS TO TALK ABOUT TOFU. Another white guy is messing with a culture’s …

Stacey and Charlotte catch a counterfeiter! This is one of the few books Emily remembers from her salad days, leading us to wonder why she did not become a counterfeiter. We go over some familiar BSC content in this one— moving, incompetence of police, the carceral state, you get it. Also, lots of candy and a cute boy! Thank goodness floppy hair is…

LOW-KEY ALERT! This episode includes a spoiler about “The Good Place!” Ok, where were we? Ah yes. Mary Anne gets deep into sewing and needlework and starts a sewing club for kids. It’s hard to believe she has time for this given how much work she’s doing for poor Mrs. Towne. It almost seems like Moral OCD to Esme, so we talk about that! Emily talks…

Wow, Logan is… in trouble with a gang of 1950s toughs? In 1993, in Stoneybrook? Follow along as we watch him be an accessory to many crimes. Emily covers typologies of masculinity while Esme tries to learn what we know about shoplifting (in an academic sense). Anne just wants this whole book to be a musical (honestly, it should be). At any rate, we…

It’s back to Sea City! For the whole BSC! But… not until 122 pages in. Also, there’s a Hurricane. We discuss preparing kids for disaster, whether or not Logan is actually… evolving? And why Ann M. Martin keeps referencing the same 6 texts. Also, the climax of the book comes on page 3: what is superior, Heath or Skor? Listen to find out!!…

It’s been three years since we took an idle conversational joke and turned it into a podcast! Join us a we play some games (and successfully stump each other), reflect on what the BSC and the podcast have meant to us, and finally answer whether Ted Lasso is really a Kristy or not. Thank you, listeners! We love you!!!…

GONE FISHIN’. (Well, not really FISHING, but you know what we mean.)بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

Kristy goes from mansion to mansion as the Krashers get stranded in a big storm that washes out BOTH THE BRIDGES to the old Sawyer place. We discuss whether the daring Dorothy Sawyer really may have had other options, play some get to know you games to make our team stronger, and sing the praises of Charlie’s big brotherness. Two pizzas isn’t enoug…

Stacey falls in LUV with one Mr. Wesley Ellenburg, the Tom Cruisiest student teacher to ever grace SMS. Charlotte crushes on Bruce Cominsky and then gives him the brushoff but also? There’s a baby goat. And in case you’re unclear, she is CUTE. Esme discusses the psych literature on crushes (and says “fondle” too many times for anyone’s liking) and …

We are on the road with the Spier-Schafers! Sharon and Richard are not equipped and Esme tells us why. Emily wonders what this book (with clear Boston Tourism spon con) would be like if it was written now with, um, ANY acknowledgement of non-white people. And Anne had a whole pack of nuggets! It’s a 20 piece! Listen in and say a prayer for Marshall…

Is this book is about crime? It is not. It’s about NYC glamour! It’s about dancing! It’s about the Palm Court and Zabar’s! Emily and Anne have lots of nuggets, and Esme makes them take a Dating Questionnaire for their eleven year old selves. Also, are any actors good? Emily is suspicious. Tune in and find out! FYI Links: Psychologist Jennifer Conno…

Emily’s mom (and Esme’s sister) is in town just in time for the publication of this banger by the mysterious Margot Becker R. We discuss Dayna’s boomer childhood compared to Ann’s boomer childhood, plus what we think was left out of the story when Scholastic pushed this to market in 1993 (and why Dayna’s current students that love the BSC wouldn’t …

Have we mentioned lately that we think Claudia has ADHD? In this book we learn that she doesn’t have dyslexia, but Shea Rodowsky does. Of course, this is an opportunity for Esme to talk about validation and dialectics, Emily to talk about fictional and proposed “fashion czars/tsars,” and Anne to have a nugget fest, from Whoopee cushions to Jordan C…

This book is not kind to kids in the foster system! But is it on purpose, to help us relate? Or is it just crap? We discuss Lou McNally’s genderqueer presentation and the dangers of equating that with her trauma. Also, a riveting BSC Big 5!!!بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

Turns out rich guys ARE capable of despicable crimes! (Shocker.) We continue to discuss the carceral state and why cops suck, whether pets make us happier, and a smorgasbord of Anne Nuggets. WHO TOOK THESE DAMN DOGS? Also, Go Krashers! Beat New Hope! FYI LINKS: Defund the Police! Reddit on the hot fox The internet is thirsty for foxes Summary: Pets…

Jessi is helping teach a class for underprivileged children… and her classmate Mary develops an eating disorder. In this Very Special Episode of the Baby-sitters Club we learn a LOT, especially because we are helped along by our friend Dr. Sasha Gorrell! Sasha is (incredibly) a former professional ballerina and a clinical psychologist who specializ…

Mary Anne decides to get a normal haircut in order to continue to be herself (as Emily points out, not a makeover!) and everyone loses their mind while Carolyn Arnold tries to build a time machine. WILL SHE SUCCEED? Will Dawn and Kristy manage their emotions? Does Esme try to justify all of their behavior by again reminding Anne and Emily that they…

We met Donny on Instagram and could tell immediately that he was the kind of *STAR* we needed to discuss SS9, “Starring the Baby-sitters Club!” We learn about Donny’s antics on Instagram, TikTok, and Elon Musk’s Twitter while we discuss just how racist and sexist “Peter Pan” is, how good theater is for teenagers (according to theater teachers: VERY…

Surprise! Here’s a lil’ sumpin’ extra for the holidays! “Hot Takes” are Patreon-exclusive episodes where Emily, Anne, and Esme give their silly/thought-provoking/random thoughts into various pop culture gems. So here’s a sneak peak and, if you want more, become a Patron! Link is in our bio. In this particular “Hot Take,” we relive one of Emily's fa…

Mal solves the “mystery” on page 9 and everyone ignores her. JANINE IS GETTING SOME. That’s the plot of this book. We discuss feminist theories about makeovers, good sister/bad sister, and explore some late 1992 trends and music. Did Esme cry in this book? You’ll have to listen to find out! Just kidding—of course she did. That’s not a mystery. At a…

We talk about biological determinism vs social constructionism, concerns over Mallory’s medical malingering, and lots of Nerf. Oh, and our first Op Ed! Join us to hate on boys (and gym) with Mal!بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

Shocker of the year, Maureen and Ed McGill aren’t parenting. Again. Is the Stoneybrook kids collective mania for mail-order a prelude to the MLM surge of the early aughts? Is Margo Pike actually HYSTERICAL? Also we reminisce about Deep Thoughts and the time we could buy 8 CDs for a penny. PS-Stacey, stop making choices! FYI Links: Women and Hysteri…

We recorded this one on Emily’s birthday– what a perfect time to discuss individual-centered actions for the Earth, rather than holding businesses accountable? We discuss how bad Dawn is at convincing people of things, whether or not she’s a Bernie Bro, and just how effed we are as a species. Oh, but then Anne whisks us away to malls in the early n…

Mary Anne discovers that she lived with her grandparents in Iowa for a year after her mother died… why has no one ever told her!?!? Esme talks about Richard’s grief and why and how he would have made the decisions she did. Anne talks about switchel, Sassy, and WHO IS GARY ROCKMAN? Emily? Well, you’ll have to listen to hear what Emily thinks.…

We welcome Anne’s friend Karen Tong for a lively discussion of racism in Stoneybrook (but also there’s a band? And all the kids love Fiddler on the Roof?). Karen brings her fabulous experiences as a daughter of Vietnamese refugees and someone who worked for years on the Navajo reservation to bear on an examination of racists (exactly what kind of r…

Generational wealth is the real star in this fun romp of a Super Special. When can we all go to Shadow Lake!?! Sam and Daniel are a little gross and Esme examines what they may be teaching young girls about what to expect of boys, Emily has some strong words for Kristy, and Anne is unimpressed, but amused.…

Jessi works hard and is also amazing at a famously difficult sport–synchronized swimming! It’s basically ballet… in… water... yeah…? (No….) Esme discusses the research on grit and we learn how gritty Anne and Emily are. We also discuss the geopolitical implications of the Olympics… but don’t worry, Anne pulls us out of that hole with some fun ‘92 O…

This one was actually harrowing! Jake Kuhn goes missing and thankfully, Kristy finds him (eventually). We talk about AMM’s good work in undermining the moral panic around abducted children, Bart Taylor and gendered toys, and SO MUCH JELL-O (thanks, Mary Anne). Also, two wonderful listener letters! Grab some Jell-O Jigglers (™) and enjoy!…

After years of merely playing pretend horse, Mallory finally gets her chance to meet a REAL HORSE! Mallory convinces her parents to send her to riding lessons, but the rich kids aren’t so friendly and she nearly gets killed. Meanwhile back in human-land, Jessi is envious and Mal is oblivious as to why her BFF is acting so weird. Nevermind boy troub…

Kristy runs for president of SMS, so of course we had to have another political theorist join us! We chat with Danielle about her history with the BSC, her work on crying in the political sphere, and whether or not the Kishi sisters and Alan Gray predicted Cambridge Analytica. Was Kristy’s insomnia realistic? What is with the Jamie Newton bike subp…

Egg baby trope time! Stoneybrook Middle School makes students couple up in Modern Living class and gives them an egg baby to take care of. Of course, Mary Anne and Logan are egg-parents to little Sammie, and whew! It is EXHAUSTING. Ann M. Martin warns readers off of both parenting and men in this treatise on how much of a pain in the ass it is to t…

Mallory’s family takes in Mr. Pike’s Uncle Joe and learns about dementia. It’s *very* well done and also a bummer. And what about the titular “ghost cat”? This mystery was never mysteriously solved! We want our money back. Luckily, Emily talks about artichokes and dykes on bikes for a long time and we get to imagine Mal and Jess pretending to be ho…

بقلم Stuck in Stoneybrook

Rick Chow! Rick Chow! In this Rick-Chow-Themed episode, we discuss Stacey’s growing distance from Laine and how adolescent friendships dissolve and survive, as well as a detour into queer theory and disinterest in “the child as innocent.” Meanwhile, Anne speculates which bands Laine is into and which Village loft parties she’ll sneak into. Why do y…

Dawn loses her mind over meeting and impressing Lewis (Logan’s cuz) and decides to give herself a makeover supplemented by Mary Anne’s bad advice and cringey teen mag articles that lead her astray to a disastrous date but everyone learns an important lesson because this is the BSC after all and if reading this really bad run-on sentence is making y…