Thursday, April 29, 2021
Kirstin Valdez Quade is the author of The Five Wounds. Her previous book, Night at the Fiestas, won the John Leonard Prize from the National Book Critics Circle and was also named a New York Times Notable Book.
Kirstin talked about the rural New Mexico setting in which the book takes place, including its Latinx population, the drug epidemic plaguing it, and an enduring and unique religious tradition.
Host Matthew Felix and Kirstin discussed the theme of redemption, which is central to the story, including the different ways it is pursued by the characters and the relationship between suffering and redemption.
Speaking about craft, Kirstin elaborated on what it means for her to “write into uncertainty,” the challenges of turning what was originally a short story into a novel, and how gradually she was able to get the reader to empathize was a character would initially is not very relatable.
Matthew also asked Kirstin her thoughts on the current state of Latinx representation in publishing.
Available now, The Five Wounds is the July pick for Roxanne Gay’s Audacious Book Club.
Podcast editing and episode notes by author and podcast producer and host Matthew Félix (
matthewfelix.com).
The San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change conference are both produced by the San Francisco Writers Conference & San Francisco Writers Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. The SFWC Director is Laurie McLean. For registration help, contact Richard Santos at registrations@sfwriters.org. For SFWC sponsorship opportunities, contact Carla King at Carla@carlaking.com.
The SFWC website is: www.SFWriters.org