Re-reading George Orwell’s ‘1984’ 

In the days that followed Trump's inauguration, George Orwell’s magnum opus “1984” became the best-selling book of any genre on Amazon. While some literature helps us make sense of our current world, others foreshadow a reality we can’t yet imagine. It is impossible to discuss authoritarianism, surveillance, and the manipulation of the truth without invoking “1984” or Orwell’s name. The book is full of lessons that can help us to understand our political world today — from book bans to “alternative facts.” Williams Professor James McAllister and “Boy Erased” author Garrard Conely join Ali Velshi to discuss the book’s relevance today. “One of the ways that you check against fundamentalist thoughts is you have to be open to challenging your own beliefs and listening to your own side and criticizing your own side when that happens,” Conely says. March 23, 2024