The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Thursday, August 13, 2026
Emily Zarka, host of the PBS digital series "Monstroom," shared how a lifelong love for spooky things and a PhD in Gothic literature led her to become a monster expert. She explained that her show explores human history through the lens of monster mythology, aiming to highlight commonalities between people by examining the cultural contexts that inspired these creatures.
“It's a great question. What I'm, uh, asked often. A lot of luck and a lot of stubbornness. But truthfully, I've been a lifetime lover of all things spooky.”
“And so I truly do get to do what I love, which is research and talk about all the spooky stuff in the world.”
“I wanted to do for monsters what Anthony Bourdain did for food.”