History, it’s often said, repeats itself. This idea is outdated, and unfortunately, it doesn’t even rhyme. First and foremost, history reflects. Today, I would like to answer the question: what is my podcast? History: Rewritten is a podcast about the past. The past is something that, in spite of the popular conception, has an effect on our lives every day. What people believe about themselves is largely defined by their view of the past. If someone sees the past as a golden age long since passed, they will live their lives very differently from someone who believes they live in an age of progress and innovation. History is the driving force behind people’s identities. It is so much more than dry names and dates. My podcast is an attempt to combine the scholarly rigor of published academia while remaining relaxing and entertaining. I think that history is, first and foremost, a story. My fascination with science and nature was fostered by Bill Nye and Bill Bryson. While science still fascinates me, my own passion lies with history. My goal is to make the past come alive. People view history as—almost by nature—fixed and set in stone. But the past is no more fixed than the future. New evidence, new interpretations, and new perspectives are constantly altering our understanding of history. History is not simply a collection of austere marble statues, standing silent forever in some empty hall. Statues were painted, alive with color, and they were meant to be viewed by thousands of people every day. The past is changed by the present, because it allows people to see things that came before in a new light. History, in other words, is constantly being rewritten. I hope to inspire others to approach history as something worth seeing for themselves. Each individual views the world from their own totally unique perspective. Only by hearing other perspectives and understanding each side of an issue can a true solution be found. History has the remarkable ability to reflect our past back at us. Studying history is just as much personal reflection as it is rigorous scholarship. Every historian has a unique experience that they bring to their study of the past. I am sharing my own interpretation in the hope that others will one day do the same. If more people were willing to evaluate the past, I believe we would live in a more curious and compassionate society. In that way, my podcast is my own small attempt to rewrite the course of history.
Join me next time as I start designing my website, writing episodes, and more.
Leave a Reply