
In the latest instalment of my week-long feature celebrating the amazing history podcasts created by members of the History Girls community, we speak to TK, creator and host of the For The Love of History Podcast.
Well hello, friend! My name is TK, and I’m the creator and voice behind the “For the Love of History” podcast! And surprise surprise, I love history! I’m an American living in Japan teaching high school ESL. How did I end up here you ask? Well, one day I was searching on Google, as one does when one stares into the black abyss that is “what happens after graduating from university”, and came across an ad for my current job. On a whim, I applied, made it, and two months later said toodles to my family and friends and hello to Japan!
My podcast started in much the same way. With the current state of the world and too much time on my hands, I found myself consulting with my good friend Google on how one starts a podcast. Google very kindly informed me and almost 5 months later here we are; 18 or so episodes into a weekly podcast about weird and wonderful history nuggets! During our 20-30 mins together each week you and I jump headfirst into topics ranging from turkey gods to a Pope’s war on cats, the sordid history of the fork, badass empresses, and the cultural practice of mouth tattooing that was almost wiped off the planet. One could say we talk about nearly everything, and we have a grand old time doing it because I am very funny. Or at least my mom says I am…
The extra special thing about For the Love of History (FTLH) is that YOU get to decide what we learn about. On the FTLH Instagram, you get to vote on the topics each week! I also create a daily quiz question each day that gets you all warmed up for the Friday episode. Think of the daily quizzes like the bread basket before a meal, delicious on their own but they really get you ready for the main course!
I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Why did I start this podcast in the first place? In addition to my love affair with Google, I also have a burning love for history, and it is contagious! But my historical loves are not the norm nor on the surface do many of them look particularly interesting. Take my latest episode for example, as of August 30th, The History of Coffee. Wow, TK getting crazy with the topics. I know I know, but the real reason I started this podcast was to bring light to the seemingly uninteresting and rarely talked about historical topics. Like when you pick up a fork do you know that you’re wielding a tool of the devil? Did you know that cats were once excommunicated from the Catholic Church and turkeys were worshipped as gods? How about Tanuki, have you ever heard of these furry little raccoon dogs that can use their giant testicles to fly and live in Japanese folklore? These are the topics that get me all fired up and I want to share them with as many people as I can!
So, I’ll end this blog post with an interview question, “where do I see myself in the future with this podcast?” To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure. If the name of the podcast is any indication I do this simply for the love of history. Researching topics and making Instagram posts, finding as much joy in a day as I can, and bringing these to as many people as I can is my goal. If I can make someone’s morning drive a little more fun or help someone laugh while doing those never-ending piles of dishes and laundry, then my mission is complete. So I guess that’s where I see myself with this podcast in the future, laughing my butt off and talking about little history nuggets with as many people as I can. So if that sounds like something you’d be into, get on over here and join me, friend, as we discover cool stuff, all for the love of history.
You can find the For Love of History Podcast at:
