I’m super late on my reviews but I have the best excuse: I went to the GCLS (Golden Crown Literary Society) annual conference in Denver. Me. I travelled. I hadn’t been on a plane since 2019 and hadn’t gone out of Europe since 2015. So it was a big deal, and it wasn’t really planned until suddenly it became a thing.

And it was fantastic. I got to meet some of my favourite authors, old and new (I’m not calling anyone old, but let’s face it, I started reading sapphic fiction in the mid-90s), but also awesome narrators, readers, other reviewers…
I spent time with my BFFs and made new friends.
I went to the Pride Festival.
I saw the sunrise in Red Rocks Park.
I went to the Art Museum.
I got to be a They/Them all day every day, which my own very gendered language doesn’t allow.
I got my nails done (green) and ate ice cream at a place recommended by the ice cream expert that is Karin Kallmaker.
E.J. Noyes liked my hair but also my brand-new Tampa Bay hat.
I gave Melissa Brayden copies of her books that I translated and she signed one for me. Karin Kallmaker also signed my translation of one of hers. Kris Bryant and Georgia Beers signed their latest novels. The iconic Katherine V. Forrest and the no less iconic Donna McBride (cofounder of Naiad Press) signed my extremely old British copy of Curious Wine. Virginia Black signed her beautiful debut, Consecrated Ground.
I presented an award and didn’t faint (congratulations, Jaime Clevenger!).
I got my picture taken with all sorts of amazing people, which is pretty weird for me but I needed the memories.
I attended excellent panels, some informative, some extremely funny, some long overdue (how not to be a creep when interacting with authors). My favourites were the latter (the official title was “Building Positive and Safe Reader/Author Interactions”), with Lynn Ames – who was also the Keynote Speaker –, Georgia Beers, Kris Bryant, Milena McKay, Annette Mori, and E. J. Noyes, moderated by Rachel Spangler, “Fan Fiction: A Multi-Tool for Writers”, with K. Aten, Virginia Black, Shawn Marie Bryan, Patrice James, Milena McKay and Jazzy Mitchell, moderated by Pol Robinson, and “Passion Pursued, Passion Caught”, with Virginia Black, Nan Campbell, Carolyn Elizabeth, Elle Ire and Kristen Zimmer, moderated by the excellent Ana K. Wrenn – no one who was lucky enough to be there will ever forget the “tit punch”.

I had the best of times.

Most of the pictures are mine but selfies have their limits and some were taken by kind strangers, other authors (thank you Jenn Alexander for the Brayden/Beers photo and for recognizing my Millennium Falcon tattoo), or by Em Schreiber or Milena McKay on our adventures.

And huge thanks to everyone who made the conference possible and welcoming and all-around wonderful.