History: Impossible is exactly what it sounds like: impossible history. People, events, ideologies, STORIES--all that sound insane, improbable, and yes, impossible, to our modern ears. But all true.
I've always had a severe affliction of history fascination. So much so that it almost became a second degree alongside my bachelor's in psychology. I don't make mention of my credentials to show off; on the contrary, to echo the great Grand Puba of History Podcasts Dan Carlin: I'm not a historian, just a fan of history.
I'm enough of a fan of history that my desire to keep learning about it has never ceased, especially as I started to learn about some of the seemingly improbable stories and figures of history that challenged my preconceived notions. These kinds of stories began to pile up the more I read and I couldn't stop myself from tumbling down the proverbial rabbit hole of all these stories. And I figured, what the hell: if I'm going to take this strange, unexpected, and exciting ride on Alice's heels, I might as well take people--loved ones, friends, AND strangers--along with me.
The stories covered in History: Impossible will not be easy, they will not make sense from the outset, and, sometimes, they will not be pleasant. But they all help paint a picture of ourselves that one hopes will be more accurate than the stories we were all told in comprehensive history classes.
You'll finish these episodes feeling confused. Perhaps you'll feel angry. Perhaps you'll be annoyed at my seemingly wanton and cynical courting of controversy. Or perhaps--and I hope this is the case--you'll feel enthralled by the stories you just heard and want to learn more and--I also hope this--correct me on my mistakes, which will simply help paint a more complete picture than what existed before.
-Alexander von Sternberg, Los Angeles, 2018
Comments