Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Martyr!’ by Kaveh Akbar  Kaveh Akbar’s debut novel, a true cultural phenomenon, “Martyr!”, is grounded in death and mortality. “Martyr!” has taken on a new and deeply tragic sort of relevance since the U.S. and Israel launched the War with Iran in February. “Martyr!” is no longer just on ‘best seller’ and ‘must read’ lists – now, it is recommended reading for the worried American, for the person searching to understand their Iranian counterpart.

“Martyr!” author Kaveh Akbar reminds us all that, “we are the same species, despite our overwhelming sameness and the brevity of our being here, we create these reasons to be mad at each other [...] the inability of the mind to access that, art can help with.” #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

Velshi Banned Book Club: The Sanctity of Culture This week, President Trump escalated his rhetoric beyond any previously conceivable level. He said in part, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Not a government. Not a military. A civilization. When we talk about destroying a culture, wiping away a civilization – in this case, one of the world’s oldest and most continuous civilizations – we are talking about destroying our shared humanity.

PEN America was quick to condemn Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization. PEN’s co-CEO @selopez.bsky.social says, “We are defending freedom of expression, defending writers, literature, and the freedom of people to tell their stories and document their histories.” Everyone deserves that.

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Boy Erased’ author Garrard Conley on SCOTUS conversion therapy ruling This week, the Supreme Court ruled against a Colorado law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ youth. Garrard Conley’s 2016 award-winning memoir “Boy Erased” shares his experience being forced into conversion therapy. Conley says that therapists “have a duty to walk people through options for their lives, not just tell them that there’s only one option.” He adds that “it’s a dangerous idea” to say LGBTQ people are “a subject to be debated.”

Following the SCOTUS ruling on conversion therapy, Garrard Conley, author of “Boy Erased,” which recounts his experience in a conversion therapy camp, says “it’s a dangerous idea” to say LGBTQ people are “a subject to be debated.” #Velshi

America’s story is written by its people What do 18th century colonists, an eight-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, and a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Alabama have in common? Separated by centuries and circumstance, each made a choice to challenge injustice. Their stories remind us that America’s history is shaped not by grand moments alone, but by ordinary people standing up for something greater than themselves.

What do 18th century colonists, an eight-year-old with cerebral palsy, and a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Alabama have in common? Each made a choice to challenge injustice. America’s history is shaped by ordinary people standing up for something greater than themselves. #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘The News from Dublin’ by Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín’s new collection of short stories, “The News from Dublin,” includes the timely story of an undocumented Irish immigrant who leaves America, fearing President Trump’s return to office. “It’s going to be worse for you all this time,” he writes. The author’s restraint, intensity, and deliberation have earned him praise as one of Ireland’s great living writers.

Colm Tóibín’s new book, “The News From Dublin,” includes the timely story of an undocumented Irish immigrant who leaves America right as President Trump returns to office. The author’s restraint, intensity, and deliberation have earned him praise as one of Ireland’s great living writers. #Velshi

This Saturday is #NoKingsDay — rallies in every corner of the country. We want YOUR view from the ground.

Photos, videos, your story — send them to mystory@velshi.com.

Can’t make it but still out here fighting for democracy? We want to hear from you too.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ - #velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘And If I Die Before I Wake’ by George M. Johnson Author George M. Johnson’s manifesto, “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” was the first book featured on the Velshi Banned Book Club, taking readers through the author’s childhood. Now, an upcoming memoir, "And If I Die Before I Wake," will take readers through their adulthood. “This book was about talking to all those versions again."

"All Boys Aren't Blue" by @iamgmjohnson.bsky.social took readers through the author's childhood. Now, an upcoming memoir, "And If I Die Before I Wake," will take readers through their adulthood. "This book was about talking to all those versions [of me] again." #VelshiBannedBookClub

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘The Man in the High Castle’ by Philip K. Dick “The Man in the High Castle” explores the sort of “what if” question that plagues the imagination of anyone who has ever thought critically about our history books, our involvement in war, our past, and what it all might mean for our present. “It allows you to think ‘what if I'm reading the present wrong? What if we did lose to fascism?’” notes author Jonathan Lethem. “I don’t think it has ever failed to be relevant.”

"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick asks what humanity, morality and creativity look like in the face of evil. "He’s asking you to experience a kind of vertigo," says author Jonathan Lethem. "It allows you to think 'what if I'm reading the present wrong?'" #VelshiBannedBookClub #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan Technology is at the center of “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan, but it is far from the whole story. Through a kaleidoscope of characters, literary devices, and time periods, “The Candy House” explores memory, questions of authenticity, privacy, the importance of human connection, the cost of innovation, and humanity itself.

Author Jennifer Egan’s “The Candy House” explores the defining feature of our time: technology. “Again and again with every invention we begin with a utopian idea of what it will do for us,” she says, “then later we see the intended consequences.” #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

Velshi Banned Book Club: 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley Aldous Huxley’s magnum opus “Brave New World” is eerily relevant in today’s America. It explores our cultural fixation and addiction to distraction in a world of unbridled mass consumerism. Alarmingly, it depicts a world with little hope for change when there is little desire to change.

Award-winning authors @clarebeams.bsky.social and MT Anderson share how Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” gives a clear explanation for where American society is today, a world of cultural fixation and addiction to distraction in a world of unbridled mass consumerism. #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

When a bookshop owner turns anger into resistance Greg Ketter, the owner of Dreamhaven Books & Comics in Minneapolis, went viral for putting words to what so many are feeling right now. He is angry. And he knows what book banning & the suppression of dissent means: “the chipping away of our freedom.” #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

Greg Ketter, the owner of Dreamhaven Books & Comics in Minneapolis, went viral for putting words to what so many are feeling right now. He is angry. And he knows what book banning & the suppression of dissent means: “the chipping away of our freedom.” #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel Do not mistake “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel for a survival story. At its core, “Station Eleven” is hopeful. It argues for the importance of art, literature, theater. It argues that humanity is something that must be nourished and tended to. It is the exact book everyone needs to read right now.

Author Emily St. John Mandel knows a thing or two about a dystopia, a post-apocalyptic world. She writes all about it. So what does she have to say about America today? “There is hope, there is community.” #VelshiBannedBookClub #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut Equal parts semi-autobiography, anti-war commentary, science-fiction exploration, and satire, Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” centers on the infamous and brutal Bombing of Dresden during World War II. Vonnegut is one of those authors whose contributions to both literature and American culture are innumerable, and now his estate is at the center of a push to maintain the freedom to read. A group of best-selling authors, Utah students, the ACLU, and Kurt Vonnegut’s estate represented by his four children, are suing state officials in Utah over their book banning legislation.

Kurt Vonnegut’s daughter Nanette isn’t just fighting censorship in Utah because of her father’s legacy, his love of libraries, or his belief in the importance of literature. She is fighting for much more. #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

Velshi Banned Book Club: The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes follows Henson Blayze, a kind and gifted young athlete who is one of the few Black kids in a small town. When his 10-year-old neighbor is beaten nearly to death by two state troopers, Henson is forced to confront a moral crossroads—choosing between what is right and his own athletic ambition. Author Derrick Barnes challenges the belief that sports automatically bring people together, calling it “one of the fallacies of this country.” While sports can unite us, he argues, that only happens when we as a country, “address the issues that have been bogging us down.” Barnes also warns against viewing Black athletes as mere entertainment at the expense of their humanity.

Today's #VelshiBannedBookClub feature is "The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze" by Derrick Barnes. It follows a gifted Black athlete navigating racism, identity, and ambition. Barnes says framing sports as uniquely unifying lets white Americans “escape harsh realities Black Americans face." #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: 'We Were Liars' trilogy by E. Lockhart A cultural phenomenon, a social media favorite, and a hit TV show, "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart is officially a trilogy spanning multiple generations. Written with Lockhart's trademark twist and literary references, these books, including the newest “We Fell Apart”, are an examination of privilege, reconciliation, and identity.

“Books are about, fundamentally, what it means to be human,” says “We Were Liars” author @elockhartbooks.bsky.social

#Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

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Velshi Banned Book Club: 'The Day the Books Disappeared' by Caroline Kusin Pritchard and Joanna Ho “The Day the Books Disappeared” by Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin Pritchard, was born out of the uptick in censorship and challenges to literary access happening over the past few years. Since publication, though, it has become a cultural artifact, a microcosm of American culture today, by being censored in its own right. 

What do the authors of “The Day the Books Disappeared”, @joannahowrites.bsky.social and @carolinekpritchard.bsky.social, say to those who argue a certain book might be too advanced for a child? Do not "underestimate the brilliance of young people”. #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen Today’s meeting of the Velshi Banned Book Club dives into Jane Austen’s masterpiece, “Pride and Prejudice,” the romance novel that has defined the genre. Author Elaine Castillo shares how Austen inspired her own work and discusses why Austen romances have had such a profound effect on readers for generations.

Today's #VelshiBannedBookClub features the blueprint of all romantic novels, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. Author Elaine Castillo says Austen's seminal work deepens us as readers. It's why her profound literary legacy is so enduring for readers and authors alike.

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is a pioneering work of both science fiction and patriarchal criticism. It’s a warning that science can go too far, an examination of maternal guilt, or a story of how monsters get created. Regardless of your reading, there are few stories, literary or otherwise, that have such ubiquitous recognition, fascination, and appeal across generations.

Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” has a lot to tell us about culture today, including why reading is so important. UCSB professor Julie Carlson & author @kierstenwhite.bsky.social say, “Reading is where the creature discovers feeling and thought, & the history of the world.” #VelshiBannedBookClub

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘Breathless’ by Jennifer Niven “Breathless” by Jennifer Niven is a reminder of exactly why young adult fiction resonates with so many readers. Through gentle and poignant storytelling, “Breathless” is an exploration of how to find yourself after experiencing your first devastating loss as a young person. In Nevin’s own words, “Breathless” is a story about choosing your voice, your future, your body, and yourself.

"Teens are dealing with issues of love, body image, mental health, and identity, whether parents want them to or not," says @jenniferniven.bsky.social. Literature helps them "to find themselves and to realize they are not alone...even if the adults don't want to talk about it." #VelshiBannedBookClub

Today’s #VelshiBannedBookClub feature, “Breathless” by @jenniferniven.bsky.social, is an exploration of how to find yourself after experiencing your first devastating loss as a young person. It's about choosing your voice, your future, and yourself. Niven joins me at noon EST. Don't miss it!

Velshi Banned Book Club: ‘The Knife and the Butterfly’ by Ashley Hope Pérez ‘The Knife and the Butterfly’, by veteran member of the Velshi Banned Book Club Ashley Hope Pérez, is a salient reminder of just how much a novel can create and foster empathy. “The Knife and the Butterfly” tells the story of two teenagers, members of rival gangs, and the single act of violence that connects them forever. Pérez says, “...literature is always working to support readers in encountering and navigating the whole range of human experiences.”

What does the uptick in censorship & book bans mean for authors today? “The Knife and the Butterfly” author Ashley Hope Pérez says, “the biggest obstacle...the temptation to shrink or constrain the range of experiences authors explore in the hope of not being banned.” #VelshiBannedBookClub

Today's #VelshiBannedBookClub feature, “The Knife and the Butterfly” by Ashley Hope Pérez, is a reminder of just how much novels can create a sense of empathy. It tells the story of two teenagers, members of rival gangs, and the single act of violence that connects them forever. Tune in at noon EST!

Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist @lynseyaddario.bsky.social has put herself in danger to capture the dark realities of war many times. She joins me at 12p ET to discuss the competing demands of her journalism and her family as captured in a brand new documentary. #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: “All My Rage” by Sabaa Tahir Equal parts a meditation on young adulthood, a tribute to the power of friendship, and an examination of what it means to belong as an immigrant in America, “All My Rage” by Sabaa Tahir is proof we all need to be listening to what teenagers and young adults have to say. 

“All My Rage” is predominantly an immigrant story, but those feelings of wanting to belong and of finding yourself? According to author Sabaa Tahir, “they’re universal.” #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

"Trump & Republicans have unleashed this unprecedented extremism on the American people from the very beginning," says @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social. "We're talking about an assault on the rule of law, an assault on the American way of life, and an assault, of course, on democracy itself." #Velshi

"Maybe they think they have enough of the levers of power that it no longer matters what people think,” says fascism scholar Jason Stanley of the Trump Administration. But he also says, the more extreme the messaging gets, the more forcefully civil society will push back. #NoKings #Velshi

"Maybe they think they have enough of the levers of power that it no longer matters what people think,” says fascism scholar Jason Stanley of the Trump Administration. But he also says, the more extreme the messaging gets, the more forcefully civil society will push back. #NoKings #Velshi

Velshi Banned Book Club: “Feed” by M.T. Anderson Everything in the world M.T. Anderson created in his novel “Feed” is informed by the ‘feed’, a commercial brain implant that allows constant access to the internet, including a relentless stream of advertisements. When a hacker with little interest in the feed enters our young protagonist’s life, though, he is confronted with the realities of his existence: the perils of consumerism, his dangerous reliance on technology, the truth of his freewill, and just how endangered his critical thinking is. It is hard to believe that a novel so prescient, so relevant, was published in 2002.

The dystopian world that M.T. Anderson created in his novel “Feed” feels eerily similar to the world we live in right now. “You can feel the way the cognition is changing, we’re being rewired by [the technology we use & consume].” How does Anderson fight it? “Books.” #Velshi #VelshiBannedBookClub

Today's #VelshiBannedBookClub spotlight is "Feed" by M.T. Anderson, our most alarmingly prescient dystopian feature to date. Written before the advent of social media, it warns of the dark effects of high-tech consumerism. Join us at 12p ET!

Velshi Banned Book Club: Filmmaker Alex Gibney on the frightening relevance of Orwell’s warnings A brand new documentary from director Raoul Peck and producer Alex Gibney is a timely film centered around the writings and warnings of author George Orwell. It warns the “newspeak” of authoritarian rule is very much present in the current day. Gibney joins Ali Velshi to discuss the importance of Orwell’s works – especially at this point in history. “As a man of the world, he saw patterns of abuses of power, and he realized that they repeated themselves over and over and over again, across borders and through time,” Gibney says. “That's what makes Orwell's writing so compelling, is those simple patterns that repeat themselves over and over and over again…It's a very bleak vision of the future.”

"The erasure of history is a way of unmooring us from what we know to be true, until suddenly the very idea of fact is somehow challenged," says @alexgibneyfilm.bsky.social of George Orwell's ever-relevant warnings against authoritarianism. "It's a very bleak vision of the future." #Velshi