THE EIGHTH ANNUAL GOLDEN CROWN LITERARY CONFERENCE JUNE 13-17, 2012 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA www.goldencrown.org Register now to prepare for the upcoming Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) Conference Lambda Award winning author Jewelle Gomez will be the keynote speaker for the 2012 Eighth Annual GCLS Literary Conference. Gomez is a writer and activist who is also the recipient of a literature fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, two California Arts Council fellowships and an Individual Artist Commission from the San Francisco Arts Commission. She is the author of the award-winning novel, The Gilda Stories, which has been in print since its publication in 1991 and is taught in classrooms across the country. Her fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in numerous periodicals, among them: The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, The Village Voice; Ms Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, The Advocate, and Black Scholar. Anthologies have included Home Girls, Reading Black, Reading Feminist, Swords of the Rainbow, The Best Lesbian Erotica of 1997 and Dark Matter. Her other publications include three collections of poetry-- The Lipstick Papers, Flamingoes and Bears and Oral Tradition. She is also the author of a book of essays called Forty-Three Septembers and a collection of short fiction, Don’t Explain. Gomez was born and raised in Boston. Her background is Native American, African American and Cape Verdean and her writing has always meaningfully explored ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality. This year’s conference will offer author panels, seminars/workshops for readers and writers and social events such as pool parties, karaoke night and special activities for new attendees. The final night of the event will be presentation of the Goldies, the annual Golden Crown Literary Awards. Since the first Goldies were awarded in 2005, the categories have expanded from three to twelve. This year, more than three dozen book awards will be given, along with the Trailblazer Award, the Directors’ Award and the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award. The Golden Crown Literary Conference is the best opportunity for readers, authors, editors, publishers, aspiring writers, and media to learn about and meet colleagues as they explore lesbian literature. Membership in the GCLS is not required to attend. For more about the conference, as well as a schedule, please visit the GCLS website at www.goldencrown.org. Registration is currently underway. The Mission of the Golden Crown Literary Society The Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) is a literary and educational organization for the enjoyment, discussion, and enhancement of lesbian literature. Our goals are to support and strengthen quality lesbian literature by providing places for readers and writers to interact, to encourage and assist new writers and established authors, and to recognize and promote lesbian work ###