Velshi Banned Book Club – Details, episodes & analysis

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.

“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.

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.