The Civil Discourse Book Club

We have a book: George Orwell’s 1984.

It’s the obvious book choice—it has been staring me in the face the whole time, and many of you suggested it. I even touched on it last night when I wrote about Trump’s effort to rewrite history. It’s an important book without being ponderous, the perfect beach read for serious times. And, full disclosure, I write about it a bit in my forthcoming book, so it’s been top of mind (and bookshelf) for months.

Why this book? It’s an illuminating look at the risks of succumbing to fascism. And so much more. It underscores the vital role of open, truthful dialogues, like the ones we have here and take out into our communities. It’s about the protection of democratic institutions against the corrosive effects of misinformation and attempts to rewrite history. I’ve read it with my classes on and off, and we always benefit from it. If you’ve been around awhile, you know we’ve discussed it here more than once.

But I’ll share what pushed me over the edge to choose 1984. There are so many great choices in the comments that I’d be excited to read with you. I stopped counting when I hit 37 and ordered half a dozen I hadn’t heard of or didn’t own already. But I knew it was going to be 1984 when I saw this:

A bias monitor. Accepted by a major news network. Not a huge public outcry as Trump brings the thought police of fiction into fact. We are overdue to read, or reread, 1984.

George Orwell: “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

In July of 2024, Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank that spawned Project 2025, and one of that document’s chief architects, said on Steve Bannon’s podcast, “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” What happened after that stunning pronouncement? Trump disclaimed all knowledge of Project 2025. And most people moved on. But not us. Four months later, Americans returned Donald Trump to office, and now we’re living under Project 2025. There are a lot of parallels to 1984.

This morning, the deputy director of the FBI let loose with a tweet suggesting he knows things you don’t. (This is not surprising. One would hope the deputy director would be a dab hand at keeping secrets.) But it’s the dark brooding vibe here, insinuating that there’s more. So much more. Pick your adventure. Give gas to your favorite conspiracy theory. Dan Bongino just wants to stay on the right side of all of the inflamed MAGA supporters who are pissed off about the Epstein files.

So we’ll spend August reading and discussing a book about fascism, manipulation of the public, and thought control. Because we’re going to fight back against all of this.

How does a book club work on Substack? To be honest, I don’t know for sure. But there are some long running ones, and I’ve been taking a look at how they work. For now, start by grabbing a copy of 1984—every house needs one! There are plenty to found on used bookseller sites, you can download and listen or read on one of your devices, you can buy it locally or online. You may even have a copy on your bookshelves already. Then get started reading! This will be our August book, but it’s fine to get a head start; in fact, I hope you will. I’ll experiment with some options like discussion threads and Substack Live with guests, and if you’ve got any ideas for how to do this, leave them here.

Whether you’ve read the book recently, years ago, or never, it has a lot to offer, and I expect that our discussion will be lively. I can’t wait to get started reading with you. My copy is in my suitcase!

We’re in this together,

Joyce