Award-winning novelist discusses redemption, family and place at Ars Poetica

Award-winning novelist discusses redemption, family and place at Ars Poetica

Feb. 4, 2022 LA GRANDE, Ore. – Take a dive into a brand-new tale of drama, redemption and the limits of family bonds with “The Five Wounds,” the debut novel of award-winning fiction writer Kirstin Valdez Quade.

Eastern Oregon University continues it’s Carl and Sandra Ellston Ars Poetica Reading and Conversation Series with a virtual visit from Quade to discuss her latest work. 

“Kirstin Valdez Quade is really an acclaimed author,” Assistant Professor of English/Writing Nick Neely said. “Her first book was a collection of stories, ‘Night at the Fiestas,’ that was remarked upon broadly. … She’s still an emerging writer, this is her first novel, and clearly she is among the most promising writers of her generation, so that’s exciting that she’s going to visit with us.”

“The Five Wounds” recently won The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and has received praise from numerous publications and contemporary authors. 

In the upcoming discussion, Quade will talk with EOU Master of Fine Arts faculty member Claire Boyles, who will lead the conversation. Boyles is the author of “Site Fidelity,” which was longlisted last year for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection. 

“The great thing about a conversation is that you get a meeting of minds, so every conversation of this nature is different, and I know Clare will do a great job of exploring craft and relationships to place. I have no doubt that place and the tradition of place is really critical to ‘The Five Wounds,’” Neely said.  

Moving forward, Ars Poetica will shift its structure to include fewer, shorter book readings and more discussion. Ars Poetica also plans to include instructors from the MFA program as facilitators.    

“It’s nice to bring in the MFA faculty that don’t live here in La Grande. Zoom enables us to use their talents and get them involved and keep them involved. Hopefully this approach will bring more attention, broadly, to the Ars Poetica conversation series,” Neely said.   

The event takes place at 6 p.m. on Feb. 10 over Zoom. Pre registration is required. Recent Ars Poetica sessions can be viewed here. The next event features Emily Maloney and Katherine Standefer, essayists on the body and health care, on March 3.