Podcast
Velshi Banned Book Club
Hosted by MS NOW · EN
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.
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
MS NOW Presents: Clock It with Symone and Eugene
Feb 500:02:27Tap to summarizeSymone 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. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Preview of “Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order”
Dec 100:09:33Tap to summarizeRachel 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. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Special Preview of “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace”
Jun 200:04:36Summary readyWho are The Best People? They’re the people who are the best at what they do and know how to bring out the best in others. On her new podcast, Nicolle Wallace speaks to the people who inspire her. As a mom. As an American. Or sometimes just as a super fan. In the first episode, she sits down with actor Jason Bateman. His show “Smartless,” which he co-hosts with Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, is the podcast that inspired her to do her own. On this special preview, Bateman shares his journey into podcasting and reflects on the political climate that gives him endless fodder for conversation. Search “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace” to listen to the full episode and to catch new episodes every Monday. Or sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts to get early access on Fridays. Signing up for Premium also includes ad-free listening and bonus content.
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Listen to “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki”
Feb 10, 202500:36:18Summary readyOn a new podcast series, “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki,” host Jen Psaki dives into two crucial questions: where do Democrats stand in this moment? And how can they win again?Listen to the full first episode here, as Jen sits down with Governor Wes Moore of Maryland. They reflect on the meaning of patriotism, where the party can be bolder, and authenticity as a winning factor.Follow “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki” to catch new episodes. Episode two with writer Jack Schlossberg is in the feed now. And sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen without ads.
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Listen to “Trumpland with Alex Wagner”
Jan 24, 202500:33:25Summary readyIntroducing “Trumpland with Alex Wagner.” On “Trumpland,” MSNBC’s Alex Wagner takes a break from the anchor chair to get out into the field and speak with the people on the frontlines of Trump’s policies—and promises. Listen to the full first episode here, as Alex travels to DC—but not for the inauguration. Hours after President Trump was in sworn into office for the second time, he began issuing a series of presidential pardons for the January 6th insurrection. Listen along as Alex speaks to the inmates, their families, and the police officers who survived one of the most violent attacks on the Capitol in our nation’s history. Catch new episodes of “Trumpland with Alex Wagner” on Thursday evenings during Trump’s first 100 days. You can find the show in the “Alex Wagner Tonight” feed. Remember to follow the show so you don’t miss a single episode. And sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen without ads.
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The Power of Poetry
Oct 24, 202400:41:34Summary readyThis 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. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Reading Rites of Passage
Oct 17, 202400:36:43Summary readyThere 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. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Star-Crossed Lovers
Oct 10, 202400:42:23Summary readyAt 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. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Memoir as a Medium
Oct 3, 202400:32:40Summary readyWhat 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. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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War in Literature
Sep 26, 202400:37:00Summary readyHeralded 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. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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