Velshi Banned Book Club

This episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club will confront the barrier to entry that surrounds poetry and tear it down by closely examining a masterclass in poetic storytelling:  “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson. "Brown Girl Dreaming" follows Woodson’s childhood split between segregated Greenville, South Carolina, and New York City. “Brown Girl Dreaming” is a beautiful look at childhood, identity, and racism in America. The Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017, Woodson proves that poems tell more in a few turns of phrase than many novels tell us in an entire chapter.

There is one thing that connects the disparate generations of Americans: books. This episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club will look at two novels that don’t just capture the spirit of growing up but punctuate chapters in an American student’s life: “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. These books are frequently assigned in English classrooms across the county, and if they’re not, they’re passed from friend to friend. They are rites of passage in their own right. These books don’t share plot, characters, or scenery, but they both prove how serious childhood is, how painful growing up can be, and just how "adult" a topic a young person can handle.

At first glance, the two books that make-up this episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club have very little similarities. Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is a critical keystone to both the English language and the art of storytelling. Everyone knows Romeo and Juliet’s tragic love story. Dorit Rabinyan’s “All The Rivers” is a semi-autobiographic love story between an Israeli and a Palestinian student in New York City. Together, the two books critically examine the realities of family ties, cultural demands, and the power of love. This episode explores what a star-crossed lover truly is and the enduring power of love stories.

What is braver than sharing your own story with the world? Nothing. This episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club will examine two true stories: “Hunger” by Roxane Gay and “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. While these two memoirs are windows into two vastly different worlds, they are both masterclasses in the age-old tradition of storytelling as a warning, as a lesson, and as a means to understand oneself. “Hunger” is a breathtaking examination of the societal demands of appearance and a salient reminder of how radical self-acceptance is. “The Glass Castle” is a searing examination of poverty, the intricacies of family, and the all-encompassing nature of mental health struggles. Together, they’re cultural touchstones and contemporary classics that need to be read.

Heralded as one of the most enduring and salient novels in American history, “The Things They Carried”, written by Tim O’Brien, is a fictionalized account of O’Brien’s very real time as an infantry soldier in the Vietnam War. While, at its core, it is a Vietnam War novel, “The Things They Carried” explores the futility of all war, the power of friendship, and the motivating effects of morality, isolation, shame, and survival. This episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club will feature just one book, “The Things They Carried”, and explore its massive contribution to American literature.

The story of this country is told through the eyes of immigrants. This episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club will explore two critically acclaimed additions to the American immigration literary canon: “How the García Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez and “American Street” by Ibi Zoboi. Both novels examine what becomes of identity, religion, family, and community when confronted with the push and pull of engrained cultural heritage, a beloved homeland, contemporary American young adulthood, and the desire to belong. Here, we will examine the realities of the so-called American dream and what it means to come-of-age between two worlds.

Good dystopian literature forces its readers to confront ideas of government, culture, community, and identity. This episode of the "Velshi Banned Book Club" will examine two of the most celebrated works of dystopian literature of all time: “The Giver” by Lois Lowry and “1984” by George Orwell. Both novels are staples in the American public education system, the dystopian literary canon, and they are among the most frequently challenged literary works. These books grow along with their readers – from elementary school with “The Giver” onto adulthood with “1984”. Today, perhaps more than ever, these books are necessary -- even critical -- to our collective futures.

We are starting Season 2 of the "Velshi Banned Book Club" with a very special featured book: Ali Velshi’s own “Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy.” Exploring more than a century of his family's history, the book illustrates Ali’s worldview, including his dedication to public service and his unwavering belief in social justice. While it hasn't been banned, understanding Ali’s life story adds context and color to the "Velshi Banned Book Club" as a whole. His story makes clear why it is so critical to him to share each of these stories. This episode will also introduce Hannah Holland, literary editor for the "Velshi Banned Book Club," who will have a contributing role in the series overall and interview Ali in this episode.

MSNBC's Ali Velshi brings you a second season of the “Velshi Banned Book Club.” Book banning is happening more and more. Removing literature from library shelves, school syllabi, and summer reading lists isn’t just blatant censorship; it is the tip of the sword that threatens American democracy itself. Featuring critically acclaimed and culturally impactful literature – including work by Tim O’Brien, Roxane Gay, Lois Lowry, and Stephen Chbosky – the second season of the “Velshi Banned Book Club” puts the booking banning epidemic into necessary context. Read along with Ali Velshi and follow now to listen to the first two episodes on Thursday, September 12th . Subscribe to MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts for early access to every episode the week before it drops, ad-free listening, and bonus content.

Is there a work of writing more influential than the Constitution of the United States? Is there a work of writing more weaponized, more debated, and more quoted and misquoted? On this special episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club we will provide crucial context and a complete reading of the sacred document so that you can decide for yourself. This is the agreement that laid the foundation for the heated exchange of ideas at the core of this podcast. While the Constitution has yet to be outright banned, Former President Trump has called for its “termination” – a brazen attack on the words that serve as the bones of this nation. The time to understand and evaluate this document is now.

Few authors have changed American culture more than the unparalleled Toni Morrison and the amazing Zora Neale Hurston. This episode of the Velshi Banned Book Club examines two crucial books in the Black literary canon: “Beloved” and “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. Ivy league scholars Dr. Imani Perry and Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. look at celebrated work “Beloved”, a book that demands you look squarely in the face of not only the institution of slavery in this country, but its continued effect. Then, Dr. Perry and Ibram X. Kendi open the covers of “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, the story of a woman searching for dignity and agency. 

Debate guru Ron Klain joins Claire McCaskill and Jennifer Palmieri on their new podcast “How to Win 2024” to discuss the winners and losers of the 2nd GOP debate and what it could mean for President Biden’s re-election campaign. Plus, the House Republicans’ impeachment effort that voters want nothing to do with. Listen each week and click here to follow the show.

There is a persistent and damaging sexist trope that books written by women and for women are frivolous, light, and devoid of true meaning. On this episode of Velshi Banned Book Club Podcast we subvert that narrative with two powerful “chick-lit” books that have equally important messages: "Ready or Not" by Meg Cabot and “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson. “Ready or Not” focuses on high schoolers grappling with the magnitude of sex and consent. “Speak” poignantly explores the immediate aftermath and emotional repercussions of sexual assault. 

Latino representation in the literary and publishing community is startlingly low -- a survey conducted by Lee & Low Books and Boston University in 2020, found that a mere 6% of publishers identify as Latino. There are just a few books for such a large and diverse group – the quickest growing population in America. Both “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and “Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Pérez explore what it means to be Latino. Both books are also poignant love stories: "Aristotle and Dante” is a lyrically written depiction of first LGBTQ+ love, while “Out of Darkness” is, ultimately, an honest and brutal look at racism and sexism in the 1930s.

“The 1619 Project”, named for the year the first enslaved African people arrived on the shores of Virginia, began as an editorial franchise for the New York Times. Since its inception, “The 1619 Project” has faced sharp criticism and relentless calls for its ban -- from school libraries, state Senates, and even from the White House. “The 1619 Project” encapsulates exactly why the books featured on Velshi Banned Book Club are targeted each and every day -- then adds footnotes and an extensive list of distinguished peer reviewers. It represents change that is not just coming – change that is already here.

School shootings can feel inescapable -- especially if you're an American. Authors Jodi Picoult and Todd Strasser grapple with school shootings through literature. Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes” is told from a place of healing. The reader is not asked to feel compassion for the shooter, but the story lays bare the bullying, taunts, and complicated family dynamics that help to explain the “why”. “Give a Boy a Gun” by Todd Strasser was initially published in 2000 – just one year after the Columbine High School massacre. It was one of the first works of fiction to look at the new reality that followed after Columbine: a world where students can die in their classrooms. It is also one of the few books on this topic written specifically for a young adult audience.

Most everyone knows Margaret Atwood’s name for her seminal work “The Handmaid’s Tale”. “The Handmaid’s Tale” is more relevant with each passing day – exploring women’s bodily autonomy, the environment, autocratic regimes, and even the banning of books. Atwood also wrote a stirring modern adaption of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, entitled “Hagseed”. Atwood’s take on the classic grapples with crucial themes including the illusion of justice, the sanctity of family, reality, and even colonization.

The stakes are high when you’re a Black teenager in America – they can be life or death. Both books featured on this episode of Velshi Banned Book Club couple pulled-from-the-headlines urgency with the emotional depth of good fiction. “All American Boys”, co-authored by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, explores a gutting episode of police brutality from the perspectives of two teenage boys: one Black and one white. Author Nic Stone’s stunning debut novel “Dear Martin”, explores the emotional impact of police brutality through poignant diary entries to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Books that tell LGBTQ+ stories are banned at a disproportionately high rate. The first episode of Velshi Banned Book Club features two equally powerful and poignant novels that grapple with what it means to discover who you are and who you love. “Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan masterfully weaves four separate narratives and a haunting Greek chorus of AIDS victims to tell a story of freedom, equality, intergenerational mobility, and community through a tender, coming-of-age lens. “Boy Erased” centers around author Garrard Conley’s two-week treatment at a so-called conversion therapy center and explores the crucial role of family, understanding of religion, and, of course, identity. This episode features audio from various school board meetings across the nation including: Spotsylvania County Public Schools on November 8, 2021; Dearborn Public School District on October 10, 2022; Lake Travis Independent School District on September 17, 2021; and Hillsborough County Public Schools on February 10, 2022. 

MSNBC’s Ali Velshi brings you the “Velshi Banned Book Club,” an act of resistance against the epidemic of book banning. In each episode, a different author of a banned book joins Ali—including Margaret Atwood, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Laurie Halse Anderson, George M. Johnson and more—to talk about why their work is being targeted and about the literature itself. “Velshi Banned Book Club” is a series rooted in literary and cultural analysis and in the notion of reading as resistance. Read along with Ali and follow now to listen to the first two episodes on August 24th.