I may be hot and sticky, but I’m getting a chance to read my new book find from Ann Foster @vulgarhistorypod – Rebel of the Regency: The Scandalous Saga of Caroline of Brunswick, Britain’s Queen without a Crown. I am loving it so far, and it may be the subject of my first episode for the relaunch of the Nerdstorian podcast. Woo!

(Cross-posted on my writing Substack, Sarah Denham Writes)

A lot has happened since then. In my last post, I Am Back!!, I mentioned that my original co-host/first husband, Will, and I had split up amicably, and that I was remarried to a wonderful man, Steve. Good news! We’re still together. We’re also parents now. We survived the Covid 19 Pandemic, have loss, and made other life changes. So, it’s been busy and life changes.

Now I am in my mid-40s, and I’ve realized that I have missed my old podcast and blog. So, here I am trying to decide if I want to dive back into this project. It’s a big step, but it could be a lot of fun.

So, come along on this journey as I try to launch this series and share my love of all things history.

Check out older posts for my past podcast episodes, too!

Thanks for reading!

Sarah the Nerdstorian

Currently Reading

• Rebel of the Regency: The Scandalous Saga of Caroline of Brunswick, Britain’s Queen without a Crown by Ann Foster (Non-Fiction)
• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (Fiction)
• The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray (Fiction)

There is a new partner in crime! Steve, who is a huge comedy, movie, Broadway, horror, everything nerd, joined my world in Summer of 2015. We married in April 2016 and haven’t looked back. Expect to hear his funny take on history in new podcast episodes! (See pic for the awesome nerdiness that is us!)

I also began writing more. I had my first short story published, joined a couple of writers group, and started working on my first novel. Yea!!

So, what do I have planned for the Nerdstorian? Author interviews, guest podcasts, general history talk, etc. There is so much! I just can’t wait to get back out there with my history nerd love! Look for more in the near future!

So I came into Doctor Who fandom in late 2010/early 2011. My husband, Will, was working from home, and I was teaching at a nearby middle school. I would get home from work around four, just in time for BBCAmerica to run a rerun of the Doctor. At first, Will and I just had it on for background noise, but then we started watching it. We thought it was cheesy, then goofy, then pretty good, then interested. Netlix had all of 9 and 10’s episodes and the recently finished first series of 11. We saw that series 6 was coming on that fall so Will and I began watching all of the shows and movies of the show. We wanted to be able to watch the new series completely. We made it just in time.

Now we are hooked. We are Whovians. We got our Tardi, ringtones, etc. I am working on the screwdriver. We converted my younger sister to the cause. All of us are now working on my baby sister. She will be moving to college in a couple of weeks to a school that has a very active Quidditch (she is a big HP fan) and Battleship team so I am pretty sure that she will become a Whovian soon.

So now we wait. It is 2:07 Eastern time in Georgia so by the time you read this, the new Doctor will be revealed. I will write my thoughts later. I am going to miss 11. He is my Doctor. (10 is important, but face it. It’s like choosing which child is your favorite.) So let’s enjoy Whovians. It is a new chapter. Time to celebrate. Some reading material below!

• BBC will reveal new Doctor Who star today (geek.com)

Like I said above, I have two younger sisters, Amanda and Maggie. Amanda and I are two years apart. Maggie is 13 years younger than me. Having Amanda being close in age to me was a blessing and a curse. We moved a lot as kids. I mean a lot so she and I were constantly the new kids. This made us very close. We were each other’s best friend because we were each other’s constant in all of our moves. We played together. We FOUGHT constantly, but we always made up. She was a manipulative little butt as a lot of little sisters are, but I fell for a lot of it because I thought I had to take care of my little sister.

I think I always took my role as the big sister seriously when it came to Amanda. There was one incident when we were little that I put myself in harms way to protect my little sis. My family remembers the golf cart “disaster” when I was seven. My grandmother had remarried after my grandfather died when I was almost 6, and her new husband had a daughter or granddaughter (I never can remember) that was around 12 or 13. This girl wanted to take Amanda and me on a golf cart ride. Amanda was not quite five so I put her in my lap so that she could ride. This girl decided to drive really fast to make it more fun. I had my arms wrapped around my little sister’s waist and was holding onto her. The golf cart made a very sharp turn while going very fast. The cart went to the left. Amanda and I went to the right. I honestly believe that I pushed Amanda away from me into the grass so that she wouldn’t get hurt. (She doesn’t.) I landed on asphalt. Amanda had a couple of scrapes and bruises. I had a lot of scrapes and bruises, pretty much from head to toe. That event pretty much sums up my relationship with Amanda. She will drive me absolutely insane, but I will take more pain so that she won’t. She is 28 now, and I still fight with her. Still, I would do anything to help her and make sure she is okay.

Then there is Maggie. Maggie was not supposed to be here. My mom and dad always wanted a third kid, but they kept putting it off for various reasons. Finally, when I was in 6th grade, they decided to try for another kid and became pregnant with my baby sis. Maggie was due in August of 1995. Mom started having problems in March. Mom was in and out of the hospital, almost miscarrying Maggie each time. Mom was on bed rest the whole time while my father had to work third shift as a Neuro ICU nurse. In laste April, Mom was put in the hospital until Maggie was born. It was a crazy time. Maggie was finally born in early June, about 2.5 months before her due date. From that moment on, Maggie was our world. Amanda and I became another set of moms for her. I was 13, and Amanda was about to be 11 when Maggie arrived. We did everything with her. Played Blue’s Clues or as she called it Coo Coos, read stories, took her to movies, everything. She was like a little mascot for my high school chorus. When Amanda was in 7th grade, she was in the talent show. Maggie kept wanting to dance with her during rehearsals so Maggie became part of the act. She was two. It was so cute.
Maggie was six when I started college. She was eight when I started dating my husband, Will. Amanda, Will, and I took her to her first concert when she was 11. She was like a little adult. She liked a lot of what her older sisters liked so she was into Death Cab for Cutie and the Decemberists instead of the normal kid stuff in 2006. Maggie is the tyrant that we worship.
Amanda is 28, and she is starting cool things in her life. Maggie is 18, and she is heading off to college. It is crazy to see them off on their little adventures. Believe me. I am still the big sister so I either boss them around, which Maggie laughs at, or I actually help them. We may all be adults, but I am still the big sister. I love it.

I was a fan of the show when I was a teenager, and it was new. Lawndale High was pretty much a upper-middle class version of my high school. When Daria and Jane were complaining about the use of “dawn of the millenium”, it was pretty much my friends poking fun at the fact we were in high school at the “dawn of the millenium.” I knew a Kevin and a Britney. I knew a couple of UpChucks and Jodies. I definitely knew some Quinn’s and Sandy’s. Luckily, my sister and I were not Daria and Quinn. If I flip through my junior yearbook, which was at the height of Daria “mania” in 1999, I will see several brunette girls dressed as her for character day during Homecoming Week. Hell, Daria was MTV. If you are my age, you came home from school, watched TRL in the afternoon and watched Daria and Celebrity Death Match during the 10Spot. Hell, Daria did the musical episode before the much-loved Buffy episode. (My husband, a fan of Buffy in his high school days, was surprised by this.) Those were the days when they still showed music videos. Yeah, I went there.

What I love about this show is that the characters, while sometimes being very one-dimensional, could grow. This is definitely shown in the last two seasons and the movies, Is It Fall Yet? and Is It College Yet? All the characters grow, go through real problems teenagers have to go through, etc. My favorite story lines are Quinn’s realization that she is intelligent and that she is selling herself short, the Tom/Jane/Daria “triangle”, the Tom/Daria relationship, and Daria coming to an understanding about how her personality can be a problem but understanding that she should not get rid of the better parts of her, if that makes sense. The last official episode of season 5, in which Daria figures this out by examining a painful memory of her parents having to deal with her anti-social behavior as a little girl, really touches a nerve for me because someone close to me has experienced that and still does. They know who they are.

Parts of Daria’s personality and problems really spoke to me. I was not very popular, but people knew me. I had some friends and two best friends. I was pretty bright, although I was one of those smart kids that had potential and didn’t really use it. Although, I was very involved in Chorus and by the end of high school, SGA. I was very outspoken. I wore glasses, dealt with trying to use contacts, and the idea of people seeing me differently because I didn’t have glasses. Hell, I am 31 and still feel like that not so popular, outspoken girl that Daria was.

Even though the show went off the air in 11 years ago and sometimes can seem dated (the “new” technology, Jake working for a start-up dot-com), its themes still hold up. My 18-year-old sister could definitely relate to this show. This may be one of the few things MTV ever created, and I am glad for that.

Related articles

• Daria Movie Trailer (with Aubrey Plaza) (collegehumor.com)

Zombie Nerdstorian

But seriously, zombies are awesome.

Some history thoughts:

I just finished the book, Mary Coin, which is loosely based on those involved with the Migrant Mother photo from the Great Depression. I did enjoy this book because even though the names are changed and the story is just an outline of the lives of the real people, it had me doing my own research into the history of that famous photo. I recommend this book, and I may dedicated a future podcast or blog entry to this photo.

I am working on different blog/podcast topics for the summer. Topics include The Hatch Show Print Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, Crazy Bet van Lew, Disney and the Good Neighbor program (which is also part of a work thing), the dwindling of traditions in Jewish communities in Argentina, possibly another “culture” episode like our zombie one, only about social studies connections in the Avatar: The Last Air Bender and Korra series. It will be a lot of fun. 

Now if only I can make money off of this thing. Haha. One can dream…

Nerdstorian the Sixth

Music:

“Theme for Nerdstorian”, Will Winchester

“Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)”, Boney James

Stuff You Missed in History Cast

Zombie Nerdstorian

Songs
Will Winchester- “Theme for Nerdstorian”
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins- “I Put a Spell on You”
The Damned- “Born to Kill”
The Flaming Lips- “Convinced of the Hex”
Donovan-“Season of the Witch”
Wye Oak-“Civilian”
Sparklehorse- “Weird Sisters”

Note: If you like it, go buy it!

Nerdstorian Whocast

Now the Doctor and Reinette in “The Girl in the Fireplace” written by Stephen Moffit- I love this episode!

I hope you look forward to the upcoming podcast. I will.

11 years ago today, I was a freshman at the University of West Georgia, living at Strozier Hall. I remember it was a beautiful day, cool and sunny, like today. I was late to class and sitting at the bus stop next to my building. One of my friends leaned out of the window, yelling to get back in the building. What I saw on the television has changed my world. I will never forget this day.

I do remember that all the girls in my dorm forgot all the pettiness and group building that is so prevalent in teenage girls. For the whole day, we sat in different rooms because we all kept our doors open not caring if we were friends or not. I remember that so many people at UWG forgot the social norms and became a family as we cried together at the lives lost and/or affected, screamed at the live images that will never leave our minds, and tried frantically to call our loved ones because we needed to hear their voices because we were in fact still children. I remember missing my friends from high school and my family because I was in a new place doing new things and wanted the familiar during this tragedy. I remember worriying about my baby sister, Maggie, and how she would understand all of the horror since she was a six-year-old little girl. I remember worrying about my younger sister, Amanda, and how she,even though she was a junior in high school, was handling all of the horror without her big sister to immediately talk to. I worried about my parents, a former Navy man and Navy wife (if you are a military brat, you understand), and all they understood about this tragedy and the people they knew who would be affected because they were still in active service.

I now teach children who were born in 2000 and 2001 and that blows my mind. They don’t remember the day and have asked me what I remember and what it felt like. I try to help my students understand the importance of the event, and how they can make the world a better place.

I also know that I will not let hate for others be the emotion that rules this anniversary. I believe that today should be a reminder that people can be good and people can be bad, but that we, as humans, can do many great things that can try to change the world and make it better. Remember that my friends, especially during this election season where so many hurtful things can be said on both sides. I love you all, even if we disagree on so many things. You are all amazing and special.

Anyway, this movie is a great example of how alternate history can be so much fun to watch. For those of you who need a refresher, Inglorious Basterds was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, came out in 2009, and offers an alternate look on how World War II could have ended. There are two storylines in this movie. One storyline follows Shosanna, a young French Jew who escapes the massacre of her family at the hands of Hans Landa, a Nazi “Jew Hunter,” who lives in Paris under a new identity as a cinema owner. She crosses paths with a German war hero, Frederick Zoller, the subject of Joseph Goebbels’ newest propaganda feature. The Nazis have chosen her cinema as the site for the big premier of the film where only the German/Nazi elite can attend. Zoller has a crush on Shosanna, who is being watched by Hans Landa, who has been put in charge of security for the event. Shosanna and her protectionist/ lover, Marcel, decided to exact revenge on the Nazis by trapping them inside during the premier and burning down the cinema. Storyline two follows a group of American Jewish soldiers called the Basterds who are led by Tennessean Aldo Raine. Their mission is to systematically hunt down and kill Nazi soldiers in France, collecting scalps along the way. Survivors of their ambushes are left with a swastika carved into their forehead so that everyone knows they were Nazis. The Basterds, mostly the German-speaking ones, join up with a German actress/ British double agent, Bridget von Hammersmark and a British solider to blow up this important film premier. They meet in a basement bar, where all hell breaks loose, as the German Basterds and the British solider are killed when their cover is blown. Aldo and the remaining Basterds are now responsible for carrying out the mission of killing the Nazi higher-ups because it is now revealed that Hitler will also be attending the premier! The two storylines intersect as Hans Landa investigates the bar shootings and the night of the premier arrives. Shosanna does not know the Basterds exist, The Basterds do not know Shosanna exists. The movie reaches its climax as both plans go into effect at the same time killing Hitler, other Nazis, and many of our heroes. Hans Landa switches sides in order to end his part in the war and Aldo Raine is ordered to bring Landa over to the Allied forces. Hans does not escape his fate with the Basterds though as they carve a swastika into his forehead. A lot happens in this movie so excuse me if it all sounds a little jumbled.

Anyway, the reason this movie is so much fun to me is it makes me wish it was real history. When I first watched this movie, I left the theater wanting the war to end earlier, for Hitler to suffer the way he did in the film, and for a group like the Basterds to really exist. Alternate history does that. It sometimes draws on what people wished had really happened in history instead of the truth. Tarantino does a great job with that. I have to say he seems to know his World War II history because the events in the movie are very believable. Hans Landa could have very well have been a  real Nazi that students read about when studying that time period. Also Tarantino’s use of real historical figures is great. They are either speaking characters or just pointed out with what looks like handwritten titles. I love this movie. Oh, and the tension at the beginning of the movie!! Geez!!!

Tarantino has another alternate history film coming out this winter, Django Unchained, which I am sure will hold up an uncomfortable mirror to the Southern U.S. as it looks at the 1860’s in a spaghetti western type flick. Cannot wait. I will definitely be talking about it on here.

I love Doctor Who. I am a definite Whovian. So as a Whovian and history nerd, I, of course, love episodes showing and/or dealing with historical figures. My favorite episode is where Amy and the 11th Doctor meet Vincent van Gough. It is such a wonderful episode that make me smile and cry every time I watch it. Below are the historical figures that have appeared in the show since the 1st Doctor in 1963. It shows which Doctor, the actor, and the episode. I am planning on getting more detailed on some specifics on here and maybe, just maybe the podcast.

Some more side notes: There won’t be a new podcast for a couple of weeks due to some health things. But I have some great things planned so I am excited!

Podcast music credits: Will Winchester, “Nerdstorian Theme”, Beirut, “Bratislava”, Gulag Orkestar, Ba Da Bing! (2006), Gogol Bordello, “Underdog World Strike”, Gypsy Punks: Underground World Strike, Side One Dummy Records (2007), Neutral Milk Hotel, “The Fool”, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Merge Records (1998)

Nerdstorian the Second

“The application of blister plasters was another way of cleansing the system. These were usually made of mustard or Spanish flies (cantharides) which were powdered and mixed with liquids to make a plaster. The compound caused great irritation to the skin; when blisters discharged the pus, much of the harmful matter supposedly was expelled. Once cleansed of its irritants, the body could be restored to health by the use of tonics. Arsenic, mercury, lime, copper, iron, and nitric acid frequently were used as components of the various restorative solutions and compounds.”

Always something to learn here at the Nerdstorian!

Credit:

Information: Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman

Nerdstorian the First

In college, I took several classes with a professor named Dr. Michael de Nie. These classes were about British and Irish History, which is an area of history I adore. While in one of these classes, I read Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman. It is now published as The Duchess. (See below)

Anyway, this book is a great biography about Georgiana, who was born in 1757, married William, the Duke of Devonshire in 1774, and lead an interesting, albeit sometimes tragic, life as one of the most influential women in Britain. She grew up much loved by her parents and younger siblings, but she was constantly striving to please everyone she met. This was how she remained for the rest of her life. Her husband was the de facto leader of the Whig Party, which advocated personal freedom and that sovereignty ultimately rested with the people. She founded Salons that had the important literary and political figures meeting to discuss ideas of the day. In a world where women had little or no rights, she held rallies, fundraisers, and drives to get the vote for Whig and Devonshire candidates.

Georgiana’s marriage was a fairly loveless one. Her husband, the Duke, was a powerful man, who had many affairs, including with Georgiana’s best friend, Elizabeth Foster. He fathered child by a mistress before his marriage to Georgiana, several children with Georgiana, and two children with Elizabeth. Georgiana was involved with other men, but she was specifically involved with Lord Charles Gray, the future Prime Minister. She had a child with him, Eliza, who she was forced to give up and  was raised by his family. Georgiana is the great-great-great-great-aunt of Princess Diana (Spencer) through her brother, George Spencer, and the great-great-great-great grandmother of Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, through her daughter, Eliza, with Gray. She was also a friend and pen pal with Marie Antoinette. She had to end her affair with Gray when the Duke made her choose between her lover and her Devonshire children. She ultimately choose her children by the Duke.

Georgiana was also fashion icon in late 18th century England. She was known for her hair styles as being BIG, outrageous, and daring. I have included one example.

In 2008, a movie version called The Duchess was released with Kiera Knightley as Georgiana and Ralph Fiennes as the Duke. They were good in their roles, but I did have an issue with the ages (Georgiana and the Duke were 7 years apart. They were married when she was 17, and he was 24.) I also had an issue with the fact they glossed over her influence in politics, her childhood, and even her status in fashion. It was mostly about love, affairs, freedom, etc. That part is interesting. Heck, I even mention it. Read the book. It’s great. The movie is good, but the book is better. Below are some photos from the movie.

Look at that hair!!!! ^

The Duke^

Close up on the hair^

Anyway, get ready for the upcoming podcast. I will really get into the above subject matter and have some fun with it. Just one more picture to make us smile.

Who doesn’t love corgis?

So what have I been doing on the nerdy, history-minded front? I have read and re-read some books, watched some movies, planned some curriculum, been bugged by my husband to get my podcast going, and just bummed around on the internet. I love books. Well, really I am obsessed with books. I try to read as many as possible. I recently re-read some historical fiction like books like The Other Boylen Girl, Shanghai Girls, Dreams of Joy, and The Paris Wife. I don’t know a lot about the some of the histories these books are based on, but I do know a lot about Tudor England. I am not an expert, but I can tell people a lot of really “boring”, but awesome (at least to me) facts about this era. I was watching men’s rowing yesterday during day one of the Olympics and was making my husband and I late for dinner with his family because I was geeking out over the event taking place on the Thames. 

The Olympics!!! I always love the Olympics. I loved the Opening Ceremonies. They were great. I still need to watch the first part before the children’s lit portion (which was SWEET!!!!) and the part before the Parade of Nations. Freaking NBC cut out the final act before the parade on the encore broadcast. WHY?!?!? I don’t care if Ryan Seacrest has to interview someone. Give me my dang history making, history based Opening Ceremonies. UGH!!! 

Enough for now. I have places to be. I will check in later (I hope) with more specific nerding out.

So what upcoming thoughts can you expect from me in the near future? Historical fiction, stuff about Atlanta since I am returning there as a teacher, maybe zombies. I am becoming obsessed with zombies. Probably, start looking at weird history or just completely going full on nerd on some stuff. If you gave any suggestions, let me know. That’s all for now. Must try and get some sleep. Laters!

1. 

From the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (ushmm.org): 

Bread on the Hearses” by Helga Weissova, a child imprisoned in Theresienstadt. Drawing with brush and watercolors. Caption with the artwork reads: “Everything was transported on old hearses—luggage, bread and elderly persons. ‘Jugendfürsorge‘ (Welfare for the Young) is written on this hearse. But coffins were transported flatbed carts.” December 1941.

Listening to a concert in the Terezin ghetto.

One of two places- Being deported from  to Terezin/ Theresienstadt or On the platform at Auschwitz: Need I say more. Most people from this ghetto died in Auschwitz, especially after the infamous/famous Red Cross visit. The old, the young, the women with children… They were sent to the gas chambers. So sad. 

Terezin was the site of the Nazi propaganda film, Terezin: A Documentary Film from the Jewish Settlement Area, that showed how “well” the Jews of Europe were doing under Hitler. The Nazis cleared out a section of the population for a Red Cross visit, gave the “prisoners” more food and clothes, put on plays, concerts, and musicals (see Brundiabar and the children of Terezin), and put on other events. After the Red Cross left and the film was made, most of the population was deported where many died at Auschwitz. 

Art of the Holocaust:

When I heard the lecture over the art of the Holocaust, a couple of artists stuck out to me. One was Helga Hoskova-Weissova. The other was Felix Nussbaum (I will discuss him tomorrow). Both created amazing pieces of art that captured the hope, despair, horrors, and dreams associated with living during the Holocaust.

Helga Hoskova-Weissova was born in 1929. As a young girl, she and her family were forced into the Czech ghetto of Terezin. While there, she began creating artwork capturing what she saw in the ghettos. In 1944, she and her mother were sent to Auschwitz were she continued to do her work while suffering the horrible conditions of forced labor. She survived this and a forced labor march to become one of the most celebrated artists of the Czech Republic. She was one of the 10 percent of children to survive Terezin. She did this by lying to Josef Mengele about about old she and her mother was when arriving at Auschwitz. She was recently in Atlanta, talking about her art and her story. In January of 2013, a published version of her diary will come out.  Below is some examples of her artwork. 

This was a birthday present to a friend of Helga. In it, Helga talks of their lives and their dreams of the future. It starts with the year she and her friend were both born, 1929. In 1943, they are both stuck in Terezin as prisoners of the Nazis, but they both dream of the future. They dream of walking the streets of their home, Prauge, as adults with their children in a post-war world. Sadly, Helga’s friend did not survive the war. This drawing, done by a young teenage girl is powerful in its hopes for the future, but yet heartbreaking because most of Helga’s friends and contemporaries did not make it from Terezin. Helga was an amazing artist at such a young age, and it is a great thing that she and her artwork survived to be witness to the Holocaust.

Tonight, I will post more examples of her artwork so that we can all see what she captured. I do suggest that you look up stories about the art of the victims and surviviors of the Holocaust because they are moving.

Lyrics to Die Moorsoldaten (English):

Any directions you might see,
Bog and heath is everywhere.

“I don’t care what planet they are from, they can pass on the left like everyone else.”
Submitted by Justin Sather
Oswego, Ill.

Read more http://contest.newyorker.com/index.html#ixzz1xly2m1Je

Yesterday, I briefly spoke about a lecture I was listening to that discussed the art of the Holocaust. It was an amazing lecture, and I am planning on putting up some examples and the stories that go with them. These pieces are both beautiful and sad. 

This whole experience has left a huge impression on me. I was explaining my frustration on the amount of children who died during the Holocaust to my husband, Will, and found myself getting worked up and almost in tears. I started ranting about how horrible and unbelievable it is that this horrific event happened in our history and YET there are still maniacs, horrible, horrible human beings who are still doing things like Hitler and the other Nazi leaders did. I felt all the old anger I felt as a 11/12 year old when I was hearing about Rwanda on the news. I felt all the old anger I felt at the atrocities in the former Yugoslavia. I feel the anger rising when I think about Syria and South Sudan!!! Did these people not listen to history? I know that certain things are not taught or are ignored, but COME ON!!!! I already felt this way growing up, but this institute is making them come back and wanting to do something about it. I am thankful for this institute. I hope I can take this back into my classroom and also talk about the events that are happening now. It is going to be difficult to talk about the Middle East and Africa to middle schoolers without wanting to talk in detail about the violence that is going on now in Syria and South Sudan. We shall see though.

Okay, readers. TIme to leave. I will check in with you later as my day or week progresses.

I will add more about this lecture later in the evening. I will try to include examples.

This obsession of mine has lead me to become a teacher. My students get to see me as a person who knows the content, but also as this slightly spastic nerd who could name all the kings and queens of England backwards, who drew a chart with pictures of Henry VIII’s wives, or who threw paper balls with questions at kids, who were acting as journalists during a press conference during a mock campaign. My parents, sisters, and husband see this woman who gets on a rant, a roll, no big, large, meandering tangent about some political issue. They constantly have to talk me down. I have an obession, but I care about it. I love it. Heck, I show it off!! I am a nerd.

So you may be wondering what I am hoping to get out of this. Well for one thing, I am inspired. I listen to this great podcast, The Nerdist, and they inspired me to create something of my own. You should check them out. I am a frustrated historian, who wants a doctorate but does not have the time nor the money so I am going to play out some of my historian dreams out on here. I hope to also start my own podcast this summer.

I am also a frustrated writer. I have been writing stories, character sketches, plays, etc. since I was a little girl. A couple of years ago, I saw my 5th grade teacher, who I had not seen in over 15 years. She immediately asked if I was still writing because she remembered my stories and novellas I wrote in her class. I told her no, and she reminded me to not give up on that talent. That has stuck with me, and I cannot get it out of my head. I am also turning 30 this July. So as a birthday present to me, I am giving something creative to the world as part of a bigger process I will get into later.

So happy readers (you are happy, right?)… I hope you enjoy my blog and later listen to my podcast. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave any suggestions, questions, or comments.

Yours,

Sarah the Nerdstorian
Follow me on Instagram: @thenerdstorian