This week’s Vlog is actually going to be a blog. The structure will be the same as my typical Vlogs. I’ll start off talking about what I learned in these two weeks, then I’ll talk about my goals for the next two weeks.

What I Did This Week:

This week was largely about making the actual Podcast again. I ran into some hiccups with Episode 3, which I’ll talk about in a minute. I’ve been struggling with motivation on the Podcast, so I’m taking the advice that many authors get when they are starting out: Read plenty of books. So, I’ve been doing the equivalent and listening to a lot of history podcasts. In some cases, I’ve been re-listening to old favorites. I would recommend the following to anyone interested in approachable but engaging podcasts about history:

The History of Rome – Mike Duncan. This one is a little old, but it is in many ways the blueprint for my own history podcast and others like it. It can sometimes be confusing and a little convoluted, but Mike Duncan uses his great writing skills and calming voice to keep it enjoyable.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History – Dan Carlin. He only posts once a year or so, but his episodes are worth the wait. He actually inspired the first series I’m doing with his episode “The Celtic Holocaust”. I think the main thing I take inspiration from is Carlin’s rhetorical method. He asks the audience a lot of questions, and I find it to be very engaging and thought provoking.
Revolutions – Mike Duncan. This is Duncan’s more recent series and it’s got a lot more polish. The history can get very convoluted, and it is more so targeted at people who are ‘fans of history’ so-to-speak. I take inspiration from his signposting in this series. He is always very clear at the beginning of the episode in terms of what he plans to talk about. It helps me follow along and I try to implement it into my own work.

There are others, but those are the main ones I have been drawing inspiration from recently. I actually recorded Episode 4, but I was pretty unhappy with it. I went back and did some rewrites, and just last night I came into the DKC after-hours to record the rewritten episode. I added some new stuff that reflects what I mentioned above, and I like the episode a lot more now. I also wrote an email to a Podcasting friend of mine, Eric Halsey, who does a Bulgarian History Podcast. I need to catch up on his work, but he is definitely inspired by some of the podcasts I also enjoy. I tried recording myself in the podcast room last night, but I wasn’t super happy with it. I plan on doing more recording this week, and I’m going to try and record myself again.

What I Learned:

All in all, this week was a lesson on setbacks. I wanted to get Episode 4 out, but because it didn’t meet my expectations, it seems it will have to wait another week. Every creative person will tell you that setbacks are normal, but this sort of thing always feels a bit disheartening. Regardless, I’m hoping this week will be better and I’ll have a Vlog out that talks about all the great progress I’ve made!

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.