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Velshi Banned Book Club — Arts
Velshi Banned Book Club

Ali Velshi brings you “Velshi Banned Book Club,” an act of resistance against the book banning and censorship epidemic sweeping the nation. In each episode, a different author joins Ali to discuss why their work is being targeted and what is so crucial about the literature itself. “Velshi Banned Book Club” is a series rooted in literary and cultural analysis, in the notion that reading is resistance. Read along with Ali.

Copyright: © 2023 MSNBC

Latest Episodes:

MS NOW Presents: Clock It with Symone and Eugene Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Symone Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels were once at odds as White House staffer and White House reporter. Now they’re friends and colleagues—each co-hosting their own shows at MS NOW. But their off-air conversations are where the real action is. Their new show, “MS NOW Presents: Clock It” is an invitation to their groupchat, the liveliest—and most informative—in news. Whether it’s ICE getting dispatched to the Super Bowl because Bad Bunny’s doing the halftime show, or Nicolás Maduro’s Nike Tech fit, or Michael B. Jordan’s sole Oscar nomination despite playing three roles in Sinners, there is no collision between culture and politics that this show won’t document and decipher. Symone and Eugene see exactly what’s going on—and they want you to clock it, too.

New episodes drop every Thursday, starting February 12th. Search for “MS NOW Presents: Clock It” and hit “follow” so you don’t miss an episode.

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Preview of “Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order” Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

Rachel Maddow’s new series lays bare one of the most shocking decisions in American history. It’s story that reveals how an executive order authorizing the mass roundup of innocent Japanese Americans came to be, the powerful players who engineered it, and the burn order that tried to erase it from history.

Stay right here to listen to a special preview of “Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order.” And for the full episode, search for “Burn Order” and follow the show.

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The Power of Poetry Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Reading Rites of Passage Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Star-Crossed Lovers Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Memoir as a Medium Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

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.

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War in Literature Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Coming to America Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

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.

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A Legacy of Advocacy Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

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.

To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts.

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The Power of Dystopian Literature Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

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.

To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts.

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