In November, Commonweal hosted Northeast by Southwest: Mapping Catholic Tradition and Culture in Contemporary Fiction, a conversation in New York between writers Alice McDermott and Kirstin Valdez Quade. Moderated by Commonweal contributor Anthony Domestico, Alice and Kirstin talked about the importance of place in informing their work, how Catholicism has influenced the way they think about their protagonists, and representations of immigrant and migrant groups in fiction, and touched on such personal topics as grandparents with accents and living out of tents in the American southwest for months at a time. Whether or not you were able to join us in person, we’re happy to present the video of the event here.