The ACYIG is delighted to present our latest Spotlight on Scholarship:
Cuties: Exploring Blurred Boundaries Between Puppets and Children in Kazakhstani Culture
Barker, Meghanne. 2024. Throw Your Voice: Suspended Animations in Kazakhstani Childhoods. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
A dog named Kashtanka finds herself lost and alone. Her master, a carpenter, has taken her out but wandered off. A new master takes her in, feeds her, and teaches her to perform. She is well-fed but becomes bored in this new life, restricted to a single room and an endless routine. Then, one night, the gander who lives with her dies suddenly. She replaces him in the master’s act in the circus. At her debut, her first master is in the audience. He calls out to her, and she jumps back into his arms. She returns to her first home. [read more]