SOURCE: Steinfels, Margaret O'Brien. “Drawing Lines: Quindlen, Kissling and Us.” Commonweal 121, no. 1 (14 January 1994): 5-6.

In the following essay, Steinfels discusses Quindlen's relationship with the Catholic Church and Commonweal's coverage of her disagreements with the Church.

Two years ago, Commonweal published an interview with Anna Quindlen. Alex Santora's friendly, almost pastoral, conversation with the New York Times's premiere woman columnist (February 14, 1992) led to accusations of soft-ball questions and several canceled subscriptions. Last spring we ran a review (May 21, 1993) by Kenneth Woodward of Ms. Quindlen's essays, Thinking Out Loud. Some readers took indecent pleasure in it and others found it mean. Several more cancellations followed.

“What is this love/hate relationship you guys have with Anna Quindlen?” asked one of our remaining readers.

Did “we guys” have a love/hate relationship with Anna Quindlen? Or did her fellow Catholics, our readers?

When she wrote her weekly “In the...