Working class struggles: Contemporary author Kirstin Valdez Quade
Schedule
Thu, 12 Mar, 2026 at 04:30 pm
UTC-04:00Location
University At Albany | Albany, NY
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Conversation with Kirstin Valdez Quade, celebrated contemporary author whose writing explores the experiences of working-class Latinx New Mexicans in her fiction. Her debut story collection, Night at the Fiestas (2015) won the National Book Foundation “5 under 35” Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award for first book in any genre.The New York Times called the stories “legitimate masterpieces” in a “haunting and beautiful debut.” Her first novel, The Five Wounds (2021), recounts the tribulations of the Padillo family of Las Penas, New Mexico: Amadeo, a recovering alcoholic struggling with poverty and unemployment, Angel, his pregnant 15-year-old daughter, and Yolanda, his ailing mother.
The book won the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and was named a “Best book of the Year” by NPR, PBS News Hour, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, and Book Riot.
4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12
Conversation / Q&A,
Recital Hall, UAlbany Performing Arts Center
University at Albany
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany NY 12222
Free and open to the public.
Books will be available for sale.
A signing will follow the conversation.
https://www.nyswritersinstitute.org/kirstinvaldezquade
Praise for The Five Wounds
“With beautifully layered relationships and an honest yet profoundly empathetic picture of a rural community—where the families proudly trace their roots back to the Spanish conquistadors while struggling with poverty and a deadly drug epidemic—this novel is a brilliant meditation on love and redemption.” – Kirkus
“Quade ably delivers a story that is nuanced and authentic without a whiff of melodrama…[A] generous tale of characters who understand the inevitability of fate but try to forge ahead anyway in the hope of breaking free.” – Booklist
“Penetrating…The well-developed characters convey palpable emotion as Amadeo’s failures as a father, partner, entrepreneur, and even as Jesus translate into fits of rage and frustration. Quade’s rendering of a singular community is pitch perfect.” – Publishers Weekly
“Profoundly affecting…Expertly crafted, this story of family and community introduces us to often needy characters for whom readers come to care deeply. Highly recommended.” – Library Journal
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Where is it happening?
University At Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue,Albany, New York, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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