From Staff Reports

UNC Asheville will host its biennial Queer Studies Conference from March 24-26 on campus, bringing together scholars, artists and activists for workshops and presentations focusing on the theme “Blooming: Metamorphoses and Seasons of Queerness.” 

The conference is open to the pubic and free for all attendees, with a suggested donation of $20-60. Registration is required.

The conference, established in 1998, will include keynote speakers Alexis Pauline Gumbs, recipient of the 2022 Whiting Award in Nonfiction; and Andie Morgenlander, co-founder of the Justice Film Collective.Gumb; will be delivering a keynote address entitled “Breathe Through Your Whole Body: What Seals Can Teach Us About Queer Transformation,” drawing from her 2022 Whiting Award-winning book, “Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals.”

She has also won several awards for her poetry, including the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and has had her work published in a number of journals and magazines.

She served as a National Endowment of the Arts Creative Writing Fellow in 2022, and currently serves as the creative writing editor for “Feminist Studies.”Morgenlander, who has acted in, written, produced and directed both short form and feature length narrative films, will screen their award-winning short film, “Whistle Down Wind,” which showcases the lives of queer youth in Appalachia.

Their films have received Best Film and Best Narrative Film awards at film festivals throughout the southeast. Morgenlander has also received acting awards for their role in the film “Luke & Jo.” Morgenlander will also host a workshop on the conscientious filmmaking framework, which they wrote in hopes of aiding the creation of more ethical processes on film sets. 

Registration is required and available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queer-studies-conference-2023-registration-429340146937. 

More information, including an updated conference schedule, can be found at queercon.wp.unca.edu, or by emailing  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);"> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .