When former governor Mitt Romney wanted to add women to his cabinet, he asked his staff to find qualified female candidates. What they brought back, Romney would later explain during his 2012 presidential bid, were “binders full of women.” That comment inspired an Internet firestorm, but also an annual conference: Bindercon.
On paper, Bindercon is a two-day summit on November 7 and 8 gathering women and gender-nonconforming writers in NYC to explore the “tools, connections and strategies they need to advance their careers” and promote a greater “diversity of voices” in media. A single glance at the weekend’s schedule, however, reveals so much more.
Featured speakers include authors Libba Bray (Gemma Doyle trilogy), Danielle Page (Dorothy Must Die), Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (Random Family) and Suki Kim (Without You, There Is No Us) plus Lizz Winstead, creator of The Daily Show. Sessions will also include panelists from outlets including Buzzfeed, the New Yorker, xoJane, New York Times, Late Night, and Inside Amy Schumer. So if you’ve ever considered a job in storytelling, this is your moment. Luckily, we have a discount to help all of you free yourselves from the binder’s claws. For $50 off, use code BUST at checkout.
Did I mention the conference ends with a happy hour? Get into it, BUSTies.
