Conference Updates

Some updates on conferences for 2020.

The Popular Culture Association has announced procedure for refunds for the cancelled conference in Philadelphia, and they are also seeking donations to offset the cost of that decision.

Details can be found at https://pcaaca.org/conference/2020/2020-cancellation-faqs and at https://pcaaca.org/conference/2020/2020-registration-donate-transfer-or-refund.

The 2021 conference is scheduled for Boston, 3/31-4/4/2021. Submissions for 2020 may be resubmitted for 2021.


The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts has also posted information on refunds and details for the 2021 International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts.

Details at https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/good-news-reicfa/ and at https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/icfa-41-and-42-update/, from their blog.

Next year's conference will maintain the same theme of "Climate Change and the Anthropocene."  It will run 3/17-3/20/2021. Submissions for 2020 may be resubmitted for 2021.


Most recently, the Science Fiction Research Association has cancelled their summer 2020 conference.

Full details at https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/icfa-41-and-42-update/.

Conference Cancellations as of 3/15/20

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the follow events have recently been cancelled.

Follow the links for more details.

2020 International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts: https://www.fantastic-arts.org/2020/icfa-41-is-cancelled/.

2020 Conference of the Popular Culture Association: https://pcaaca.org/conference/2020/update-2020-pca-conference-march-13-2020.

PCA 2020 Update

The schedule for the 2020 Popular Culture Association National Conference is now available online.

The event runs from 15-18 April 2020 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

Full details at https://pcaaca.org/conference/schedule.

There are many areas of interest.

CFP Series Books and Science Fiction (11/1/19; PCA 2020)

Series Books and Science Fiction (National PCA Conference)
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2019/06/06/series-books-and-science-fiction-national-pca-conference

deadline for submissions:
November 1, 2019
full name / name of organization:
National PCA Conference
contact email:
mcornelius@wilson.edu

Call for Papers: Series Books and Science Fiction (National PCA Conference)



This call for papers for the national PCA Conference looks to interrogate the intersection of two distinct genres: juvenile series books and science fiction.

Scholars of children’s literature note important generic, structural, and cultural definitions in regards to series books. Series books are dominated by static natures. The central character—usually a flat, unchanging trope more than a fully realized, fleshed out, dynamic figure—is likewise a static creation. Often, these characters do not even age, let alone change. Typified by series like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, “a Dixon or a Keene promised a reliably pat formula, a single general story in which only the details of the mystery differed from book to book” (Karell 37). These generic conventions have been simply described as, “Good mystery and lots of action, with some educational material” (Herz 8). While the “educational material” could be information about the places the characters visited or the objects encountered during the story—apt for any mystery set in an exotic clime—the “action” was always to be “tension without violence” (Herz 12). In the series, “tension is created through the possibility that something catastrophic may happen” (Herz 12, italics original). It was considered vital that

the books contained nothing prurient or off-color, and even the sanitized ‘violence’ involved no blood. It is true that the boys and the villains repeatedly got tied up, hit on the head, or nearly drowned, and that they tumbled down cliffs or fell through trapdoors, but they never died brutal deaths…by the standards of the late twentieth century, the series books were remarkably tame and included no tobacco and not the slightest hint of sex, even on the part of the villains. (Greenwald 36)

Reflecting strict dictates regarding violence, sexuality, patriarchy, and social hierarchy, these books were ultimately intended to reflect “good, wholesome adventure and suspense” that did not, in any way, disrupt the status quo (Herz 13).

Science fiction is another distinct genre. At its core, the nomenclature of “science fiction” itself is something of a paradox. “Fiction” denotes fantasy, fancy, that which is divorced from “reality.” Certainly fiction has always spoke to and explored what is considered to be real or reality, but in its very construction one sees the seeds for a departure from the tangible and into realms that exist beyond this real world. “Science,” however, suggests a specific discipline grounded in reality, based on predictable principles of action and inaction. Science is the study of the physical world in all its varied manifestations; it relies on observation, experimentation, and the judicious recording and interpretation of reality and fact. The two together, then, create that aforementioned oxymoron: “science fiction,” which, for all intents and purposes, could be translated into “real unreality.” Science fiction constructs its possibilities from what is real, from what is possible, or conceivably so. The fact that science fiction and its most common manifestations—space flight, technology, alien realms—are so connected to the future, and to our visions and re-visions of the future, suggests that the genre is concerned not with what is unreal, but rather with what may be real, or may soon be real. The flights of fancy that govern science fiction are grounded in the tangible, in the realm of what is possible, real, hoped for, and feared.

These two divergent genres do interact. Certain volumes in series like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys contain distinctly science fiction elements; other series like Tom Swift and Rick Brant have elements of science fiction throughout the series. Modern children’s sci fi series like Masterminds, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising books and Scott Westerfield’s Horizon series also bring the two genres together. The papers in this panel will explore that interactivity, to examine how two very divergent genres both work together and clash in the creation of story.



Submission Guidelines: In Word (.doc/.docx), Rich Text Format (.rtf), or PDF, 250-word proposals for individual papers should be submitted through the PCA website and only through the PCA website. Please submit to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Area (the panels will be coordinated between the Science Fiction and Fantasy area and the Children’s/Young Adult Series Books and DimeNovels area). Instructions for submission can be found at www.pcaaca.org/conference/instructions.php and submissions made at http://ncp.pcaaca.org.



Submissions can be made on the site after 1 August 2019.



The abstract document should contain the following information, in this order:

Name of presenter—indicate main contact person if submitting a multi-authored paper

Institutional affiliation—if applicable

Name and contact information of Supervising professor—for undergraduate students only

Address(es), telephone number(s), and current email address(es) of presenter(s)

Title of paper

Indicate that it is for the “Series Books and Science Fiction” panels

 Followed by the 250-word proposal(s)



The proposal will be acknowledged within 2 days of its receipt, and the sender will be notified of the submission’s status no later than 15th November 2019. Please be aware that acknowledgment of receipt does not automatically denote acceptance. Deadlines for submission are firm, and we cannot accept any papers made after the deadline. Earlier submission is appreciated.

Please, do not simultaneously submit proposals to multiple areas. Doing so is a discourtesy to area chairs and will result in your paper being refused. Per PCA/ACA guidelines, a person may present only one paper at the annual meeting, regardless of subject area. If you try to submit to two areas, the master program will not accept your proposals (which may result in your paper not being accepted in either area).



Send content questions to Michael Cornelius at mcornelius@wilson.edu.



Submission Deadline: 1 November 2019


Last updated June 7, 2019

CFP New England Studies Area (10/1/2018; PCA/ACA Washington DC 4/17-20/2019)

New England Studies at PCA CFP
https://nepca.blog/2018/09/21/new-england-studies-at-pca-cfp/

NEW ENGLAND STUDIES — CALL FOR PAPERS (2019)

The 2019 Popular Culture/American Culture Association Conference will be held in Washington, DC, April 17-20, 2019,. The New England Studies Area invites presentations on any aspect of New England popular culture: Architecture; Art; Ecology/Environment; Economics; Fashion; Film and Theater, especially films made in New England, and plays set in the region, e.g. ‘The Crucible’; Folklore; Food; Language and Literature; Politics; History; Music; Sports; Celebrities; Entertainment; Gambling/Casinos; Industries, e.g. Fishing; Regional Cultures; Sports and Recreation; Tourism and Travel; and numerous other topics. The subjects are endless.

Quite welcome will be papers or panels that focus on any of these topics:

• New England politics and the Washington connection, e.g. presentations on political issues, such as the Massachusetts politicians who became Speakers of the House (Joseph Martin, John McCormack, Thomas ‘Tip’ O’Neill) and their impact on the nation and on the state.
• Sports and New England, especially a discussion of fan loyalties with champions such as the New England Patriots and the Red Sox; baseball rivalries (Red Sox v. Yankees); football rivalries, such as the old quarterback rivalry between Tom Brady v. Peyton Manning; Tom Brady and the rest of the NFL quarterbacks; Patriots v. NY Giants or NY Jets).
• New England tourism sites and architecture. A good presentation would be how New England holds its own against the Washington, DC, tourist trade.
• U.S. Capitol v. six New England capitols. How many were based on the national capitol? How has the Bulfinch capitol in Boston been imitated elsewhere in other state capitols and buildings?
• Multi-culturalism of New England today compared to its former ethnic separatism, e.g. Irish in Boston, Portuguese in Gloucester or Fall River, French in parts of Rhode Island. Impact of immigration in making New England a vast, diverse culture over the decades.
• Films and plays set in New England or filmed there, e.g. ‘The Departed,’ ’Mystic River,’ ‘On Golden Pond,’ ‘The Magnificent Yankee.’
• Infamous figures, such as Whitey Bulger in Boston, Lizzie Borden in Fall River, or Buddy Cianci in Providence, whose cases became national profile with the attendant media attention.
• Holiday celebrations, such as St. Patrick’s Day parades, various ethnic Christmas celebrations, and Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts, at Halloween.
• Also of interest would be presentations on literary personalities, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Henry Thoreau, Mark Twain (and his Connecticut connection), and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
• Cultural attractions, e.g. Freedom Trail, Boston Pops, Fenway Park; any of our higher institutions of learning.
• Role of religion on New England life and community.
• Famous personalities born in New England, such as Bette Davis; Katherine Hepburn; John F. Kennedy and the Kennedy family; Rosalind Russell; Harriet Beecher Stowe; Howie Long; and Kurt Russell.. How many kept their New England roots or left them behind for other geographic locations. Example: Kurt Russell was born in Springfield but you now think of him more as a Californian. Howie Long is from Somerville but he is now a resident of Charlottesville, VA, where he raised his family. Has anyone heard or read Howie mention Massachusetts in his professional life?

Please submit a proposal to only one area at a time. All proposals and abstracts must be submitted through the PCA Database. See the website at ncp@pcaaca.org. . Presentations should be 15-20 minutes in length and lively in nature! The deadline for the submission of a 200-word abstract is October 1, 2018. Acceptance will be earlier than usual as well to enhance your ability to seek funding. Although all proposals should be submitted to the PCA Database directly, please also cc: me, and include university or organization affiliation (if applicable), telephone number, and e-mail address. Graduate students welcome. Individual and full panel proposals are considered. Please feel confident about attendance if you are accepted.

If you give a paper, you must register for the conference. See: http://www.pcaaca.org. Site also includes information on travel grants and rates at the conference hotel.



Send inquiries and paper proposals to:

Martin J. Manning

4701 South Park Court

Woodbridge, VA 222193

E-mail preferred: ManningMJ@state.gov

CFP Children’s and YA Literature and Culture (10/01/2018; PCA 4/17-20/2019)

Children’s and YA Literature and Culture

https://pcaaca.org/area/children%E2%80%99s-and-ya-literature-and-culture

 

Call for papers: 

 

The 2019 Popular Culture Association Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, April 17 through Saturday, April 20. The Children’s and YA Literature and Culture Area invites presentations for papers on any aspect of children’s and YA popular culture: material culture, media, games, advertising, literature, and so on. Past topics have included recent films/television series; technology and social media; books, authors, and series; and issues and trends in children’s and YA literature and culture such as race, gender, and sexuality, dystopian fiction, the controversy about adults reading YA fiction, and environmentalism. New approaches to classic children’s and young adult literature and culture are also welcome.

For this conference, we are particularly interested children’s and young adult political and social activism, and analyses of politics in children’s and adult literature, though we welcome papers about any topic related to children’s and YA literature and culture.

PCA encourages interdisciplinary approaches to popular culture in its presentations, which should be 15-20 minutes long. The deadline for submissions of a 100-200-word abstract is October 1, 2018. Please include your university affiliation if you have one, your telephone number, and your email address.

ALL PROPOSALS AND ABSTRACTS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE PCA DATABASE.

Please do NOT submit papers to more than one session of PCA/ACA at the same time. Also be sure of having travel funds should your paper be accepted. Do NOT submit a paper unless you feel confident of attending the conference. No shows are noted.

Send inquiries to (Note: The actual proposals are to be sent directly to the PCA online site):

Dr. Amie Doughty
322 Netzer Admin
English Department
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, NY 13820
Phone: (607) 436-2493
E-mail (preferred) Amie.Doughty@oneonta.edu
You can also find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/chlitcultpca and Twitter @chlitcult_pca.

For additional information and instructions go to www.pcaaca.org.

CFP Tolkien Studies Area (10/1/2018; PCA Washington DC 4/17-20/2019)

Here's the second.

CFP: Tolkien Studies

https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/05/24/cfp-tolkien-studies

 

deadline for submissions: October 1, 2018

full name / name of organization: Tolkien Studies, Popular Culture Association

contact email: robin.reid@tamuc.edu

CFP: Tolkien Studies

2019 Popular Cultural Association National Conference

Wardman Park Marriot, Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, April 17, to Saturday, April 20, 2019

DEADLINE:  OCTOBER 1, 2018

The Tolkien Studies Area welcomes proposals for papers, paper sessions, or roundtables in any area of Tolkien Studies (the Legendarium, adaptations, reader reception and fan studies, source studies, literary studies, cultural studies, tourism studies, medieval and medievalist studies, media and marketing, religious studies) from any disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective.

We welcome individual paper proposals or proposals for paper sessions or roundtable discussions. All sessions are scheduled in 1.5 hour slots, typically with four presenters per paper session or five-seven per roundtable. Paper presentations should not exceed 15 minutes.

Academic and independent scholars and graduate students are encouraged to submit. For individual papers, please submit contact information (name, institutional affiliation if any, mail and e-mail addresses, and telephone number), a title and 200-300-word abstract plus a working bibliography.

For roundtables or complete paper sessions, please submit:

Session Title
Name and contact information for the session organizer
Titles and abstracts for each presenter
Contact information for each presenter

All presenters must set up an account to submit their proposal electronically, must be members of the PCA, and must register for the conference:

http://pcaaca.org/national-conference/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-conference/

For information on PCA, please go to http://www.pcaaca.org

For conference information, please go to http://www.pcaaca.org/national-conference/

Travel and research grants are available: http://pcaaca.org/grants/


Possible topics include but are not limited to:

Adaptation:  Visual Arts
Adaptation:  Tolkien and Game Studies

Gender Studies: Women in Tolkien
Gender Studies: Gender and Tolkien
Gender Studies: Tolkien’s Queering of Genre

Literary Studies: Tolkien and Genre
Literary Studies: Hemingway and Tolkien
Literary Studies: Romanticism and Tolkien

Fandom Studies: Reparative Fan Fiction (Race) and Tolkien
Fandom Studies: Tolkien and Cosplay
Fandom Studies: History of Tolkien Fandom

Methodology: Digital Humanities Tools for Tolkien Scholarship
Methodology: Ethics in Tolkien Studies

Themes: Environmentalism, Ecology, and Tolkien
Themes: Poststructuralism and Tolkien

Religious Studies: Alternate Mythologies/Pagan Readings and Tolkien
Religious Studies: Spirituality and Tolkien
Religious Studies: Catholic Debates in 20th Century and Tolkien
Religious Studies: Oxford Community and Tolkien


1 July                     Database Opens for Submissions
1 October               Registration Opens
1 October               Deadline for Paper Proposals
15 November          Early Bird Registration Rate Ends
1 December            Preliminary Program Available
15 December          "Drop Dead": Unregistered Participants Removed from Program
3 January 2019       Final Program to the Publisher
17-20 April 2019     Washington, D.C.!

For information on the Tolkien Studies area, please contact:

Robin Anne Reid

Department of Literature and Languages

A&M University-Commerce

Commerce, TX 75429

Robin.Reid@tamuc.edu

Or check the Tolkien Studies at Popular Culture Public Group on Facebook.

Last updated May 25, 2018 

CFP Prophecy and Future-telling in Tolkien and Related Authors (10/1/2018; PCA Washington DC 4/17-20/2019)

The first of two Tolkien calls for the night.

Prophecy and Future-telling in Tolkien and Related Authors

https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2018/05/24/prophecy-and-future-telling-in-tolkien-and-related-authors

deadline for submissions: October 1, 2018

full name / name of organization: Tolkien Studies / Tarot & Other Methods of Divination, Popular Culture Association

contact email: robin.reid@tamuc.edu

Prophecy and Future-telling in Tolkien and Related Authors

Call for Papers

Tolkien Studies / Tarot & Other Methods of Divination

at the

Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association conference

http://pcaaca.org/national-conference/

Washington, DC, 17-20 April 2019

And many other things Ilúvatar spoke to the Ainur at that time, and because of their memory of his words, and the knowledge that each has of the music that he himself made, the Ainur know much of what was, and is, and is to come, and few things are unseen by them. Yet some things there are that they cannot see […]  (The Silmarillon)

Future-telling abounds in mythopoeic literature, where it takes on many forms: dreams, intuitions, predictions, premonitions, prophecies, visions, and more. Tolkien made extensive use of future-telling in his writings, particularly The Lord of the Rings. At times, his characters seek knowledge of the future deliberately by studying prophecies, or by the use of tools and special techniques; at others, it comes to them spontaneously through memory and the unconscious.

We are seeking papers on all aspects of future-telling in Tolkien's writings for this co-sponsored session, including, but not limited to, studies of future-telling techniques and effects, relevance to character and plot development, and comparisons to relevant works and characters, such as King Arthur, Merlin, and Macbeth.

We hope to round out the session(s) with papers on future-telling in the works of other Inklings and related authors, notably Charles Williams's The Greater Trumps and C.S. Lewis's Narnia books, and perhaps Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

Papers may address any of Tolkien's legendarium and related works and their film adaptations.

Prospective participants in these sessions are asked to submit their papers to the Tolkien Studies area (for tech-related administrative simplicity). Papers addressing other aspects of future-telling should be submitted to the Tarot/Divination area.

Queries are welcomed by both area chairs.

Deadline for Paper Proposals: 1 October 2018

Tolkien Studies Area Chair: Robin Reid Robin.Reid@tamuc.edu
Tarot/Divination Area Chair: Emily E. Auger augeremily@gmail.com

 Last updated May 25, 2018
 

Frankenstein at PCA

The Fantastic (Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction) Area is organizing a session on the Frankenstein story in children's and young adult culture for the 2018 meeting of the Popular Culture Association. Details at https://frankensteinandthefantastic.blogspot.com/2017/09/cfp-frankenstein-story-in-childrens-and.html.

CFP Motherhood/Fatherhood and Popular Culture Area (10/1/2015; PCA/ACA Seattle 3/21-25/2016)

Motherhood/Fatherhood and Popular Culture, Seattle, March 21-25, 2016
full name / name of organization: Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA)
contact email: lpodniek@ryerson.ca
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63266

I am looking for papers for multiple panels for the PCA/ACA Motherhood/Fatherhood Area on any aspect of motherhood and or fatherhood in popular culture.

Possible topics to consider include, but are not limited to, the following:

• TV shows, including talk shows, family dramas, sitcoms, and animation
• print and electronic journalism and gossip rags; magazines
• celebrity culture
• the internet and digital technologies
• advertising and marketing
• visual art including photography, scrapbooking, mixed media
• film; performance; music
• graphic fiction/memoir
• best-selling literatures including mommy lit, momoirs, and dadlit
• pregnancy manuals and “expert” parenting guides/literature
• fashion
• politics
• reproductive technologies
• law and policy; maternal and paternal activism/organizations

For information on the PCA/ACA, please see: http://pcaaca.org/
Abstracts (200-250 words) will be accepted on a continuing basis up to October 1, 2015. Abstracts (and a short, 50-word author bio) must be submitted online at: http://ncp.pcaaca.org/.

Please send any inquiries to the Area Chair:
Liz Podnieks, Associate Professor
Department of English and
Graduate Studies in Communication and Culture
Ryerson University, Toronto
lpodniek@ryerson.ca


By web submission at 08/04/2015 - 13:54

CFP CFP: American Literature Area (10/1/2015; PCA/ACA 3/21-25/2016)

CFP: American Literature Area at PCA/ACA 2016, March 21-25
full name / name of organization: Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association
contact email: taylor13@rose-hulman.edu
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63377

Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA)
2016 National Conference
Seattle, WA
March 21-25, 2016

Call for Papers: American Literature

Deadline for submissions: October 1, 2015

The American Literature Area of the American Culture Association seeks individual papers for presentation at the 2016 National Conference of the PCA/ACA, to be held in Seattle, WA from March 21-25, 2016.

Papers may concern any work(s) of American literature from the colonial era to the present. A range of critical approaches is welcomed: For instance, presentations may consider issues of representation, explore historical implications, offer theoretical readings, or examine thematic trends or parallels. Treatments of race, ethnicity, and gender are encouraged, as are proposals that contextualize American literature with areas of popular culture, including but not limited to fashion, film, music, theater, and visual arts.

Interested individuals should submit a titled, 250-word abstract and complete contact information—name, institutional affiliation (if applicable), mail and email addresses, and telephone number—by October 1, 2015. Please submit proposals to one program area only.

Decisions pertaining to the status of proposals will be communicated within two weeks of receipt. The deadline for early-bird registration is November 15, 2015, and the final registration deadline is December 15, 2015. All presenters must be PCA/ACA members by the time of the conference.

Please send proposals through the PCA/ACA submission database: http://ncp.pcaaca.org/. General instructions for submissions may be found at http://pcaaca.org/national-conference-2/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-...

For further assistance, please contact the American Literature Area Chair:

Corey Taylor
Associate Professor of English
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
5500 Wabash Avenue, CM 91
Terre Haute, IN 47803-3920
taylor13@rose-hulman.edu
812-877-8831

For additional information, please visit the PCA/ACA website at http://www.pcaaca.org.


By web submission at 08/10/2015 - 20:11

CFP Gothic in Literature, Film and Culture Area (10/1/2015; PCA/ACA Seattle 3/22-25/2016)

CFP: The Gothic in Literature, Film and Culture (10/1/15; National PCA/ACA Conference, 3/22/16-3/25/16)
full name / name of organization: Louis H Palmer, III, Gothic Chair Poplar Culture Association
contact email: Louis.palmer@castleton.edu
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63425

CFP: The Gothic in Literature, Film and Culture (10/1/15; National PCA/ACA Conference, 3/22/16-3/25/16)

NATIONAL POPULAR & AMERICAN CULTURE
ASSOCIATIONS 2016 JOINT CONFERENCE

Submissions: All submissions should go through the database:
http://ncp.pcaaca.org

The Conference will be held at the

SHERATON SEATTLE HOTEL
1400 6th Avenue
Seattle WA 98101 United States
Phone:(1)(206) 621-9000
Fax:(1)(206) 621-8441

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: October 1, 2015.

We welcome papers and presentations on any aspect of the Gothic in film, literature, media, performance or other forms of cultural expression. All critical approaches are welcome.

You can propose an individual paper or a panel session of three or four presenters. Graduate students are especially encouraged to submit papers or panels.

Individual papers will be grouped into sessions based on historical, thematic, disciplinary or critical affinities. Participants will be asked to serve as session chairs. Sessions are scheduled in one-and-a-half hour slots, ideally with four papers or speakers per session, so individual papers should be limited to a length of approximately 10-15 minutes.

Submit a one-page (250-500 word) proposal or abstract
(via regular mail, fax, or email) complete with your name, 
affiliation, address and phone number by October 1, 2015, to:

Louis H. Palmer, III
English Dept.
6 Alumni Drive
Castleton State College
Castleton, VT 05735
Louis.palmer@castleton.edu

w(802) 468-1341
fax (802) 468-6045
h(518) 639-8593

All presenters must be (or become) members of the PCA or ACA and must 
register for the conference. Membership and registration forms will be 
sent upon presentation acceptance. Paper acceptance obligates participants 
to present the paper at the conference, and multiple submissions to 
different areas are not allowed. Please note that you must be present at 
the conference to read your own paper. For more information on the PCA/ACA, please go to: http://www.h-net.org/~pcaaca OR www.pcaaca.org.


By web submission at 08/13/2015 - 13:53

CFP Mythology In Contemporary Culture (10/1/2015; PCA/ACA Seattle 3/21-25/2016)

Mythology In Contemporary Culture in Seattle March 21-25
full name / name of organization:
Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association
contact email: earth2k8@mac.com
http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/node/63433

2016 Popular Culture Association (PCA)/American Culture Association (ACA)
Annual National Conference, March 21-25 Sheraton Seattle
Seattle, WA

Mythology in Contemporary Culture

The frequent appearance of mythological figures and motifs in all areas of popular culture speaks to the notion that mythologies, far from being relics of the past, continue to have significance in the contemporary world. Contemporary revisionings and reinterpretations of ancient mythological elements reflect the attitudes of current culture. Movies, television, computer games, comics, graphic novels, traditional literature, visual arts, performing arts, politics, blogs—the list goes on–-contain both explicit and implicit epiphanies of archetypes such as Hermes and Isis and Kali, and of mythological narratives such as those found in classical Greek tragedies or medieval Grail legends, to name only a few examples.

Proposals that pertain to the general theme of Mythology in Contemporary Culture are welcomed. Please note that, for purposes of this area, the term “mythology” refers to traditional narrative mythology and does not include postmodern evaluations or deconstructions of such “mythologies” as capitalistic materialism, colonialism, or structuralism.

Please submit an abstract of 250 words or less directly to http://ncp.pcaaca.org no later than October 1, 2015. General instructions for submitting proposals through the PCA website may be found here: http://pcaaca.org/national-conference-2/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-.... Proposals submitted after the deadline cannot be considered.

Questions about the Mythology in Contemporary Culture area may be directed to:
Kate Rittenhouse
(604) 836-5396
earth2k8@mac.com


By web submission at 08/14/2015 - 03:14

CFP Adolescence in Film and Television Area (10/1/2015; PCA/ACA Seattle 3/21-25/2016)

Still cleaning my inbox:

Adolescence in Film and Television (March 21-25, 2016; Proposals due October 1, 2015)
https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/77876/adolescence-film-and-television-march-21-25-2016-proposals-due

Announcement published by Kylo-Patrick Hart on Monday, August 10, 2015
Type: Call for Papers
Date: October 1, 2015
Location: Washington, United States
Subject Fields: Film and Film History, Popular Culture Studies

The Adolescence in Film and Television Area invites paper proposals for presentation at the annual Popular Culture/American Culture Association Conference, to be held March 21-25, 2016 in Seattle, Washington.

Submissions that explore noteworthy coverage patterns, representations, and themes pertaining to the portrayal of adolescence/adolescents in film and television, during any historical era, are desired from scholars, educators, and students at all levels.

PLEASE NOTE: Given adequate participant interest and high-quality submissions, the Adolescence in Film and Television Area chair is hoping to publish selected papers (with author’s permission) presented in this area in March 2016 in a special essay collection. Submission instructions will be provided in the weeks following the October 1, 2015 submission deadline.

Possible topics of relevance include, but are certainly not limited to, advertising images and appeals, coming-of-age narratives, drug use, HIV/AIDS, juvenile delinquency, nerd culture, non-heterosexuality, otherness, premarital sex, product placement, queerness (broadly defined), violence and social aggression, and (losing one’s) virginity.

Interested individuals are asked to submit an abstract of no more than 250 words (including presentation title) by October 1, 2015.

Submit your abstract online at http://ncp.pcaaca.org (and be certain to select the “Adolescence in Film and Television” subject area from the drop-down menu when doing so).

Decisions pertaining to the status of submitted abstracts will be communicated within approximately two weeks of receipt. For questions prior to submitting an abstract, please contact area chair Kylo-Patrick R. Hart
 (k.hart@tcu.edu).

Contact Info:
Kylo-Patrick R. Hart, Ph.D.

Department of Film, Television and Digital Media

Texas Christian University

Contact Email:
k.hart@tcu.edu

CFP Vehicle Culture Area (10/1/2015; PCA/ACA Seattle 3/22-26/2016)

Popular Culture Association - Vehicle Culture Area

Discussion published by Elton McGoun on Monday, August 17, 2015  0 Replies
Your network editor has reposted this from H-Announce. The byline reflects the original authorship.
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/79115/popular-culture-association-vehicle-culture-area

Type: Call for Papers
Date: March 22, 2016 to March 25, 2016
Location: Washington, United States
Subject Fields: Cultural History / Studies, Popular Culture Studies, Environmental History / Studies

CALL FOR PAPERS - Popular Culture Association Vehicle Culture Area


Humanity has always been on the move, and humans have always been attached to their means of transportation.  There is virtually no part of life that has not been shaped by the contemporary vehicles, public or private, by which people have gotten around.  Where we live and work and how and with whom we spend our leisure time would not be the same without our vehicles.  Our landscape has been reshaped and our built environment configured to accommodate them.   Poetry, literature, music, film, television, photography, and other arts have featured them.  Sometimes they have been celebrated and sometimes reviled, but we have never been indifferent to their importance.  Our vehicles have made—or are believed to have made—powerful statements about race, gender, ethnicity, wealth, politics, social class, and personality.  Vehicle culture—about planes, trains, automobiles, and whatever else has moved us—concerns how all of this has been, and is, happening.

The Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association invites abstracts for papers and panel proposals that explore the diverse intersections between vehicles, vehicular transportation, and culture. PCA/ACA is committed to serious academic scholarship while also encouraging the exploration of new subjects or new approaches to more familiar ones.  The national conference is an exciting gathering of a diverse group of scholars that is always a fascinating source of interesting ideas.

Please submit abstracts of 250 words or less via the PCA Submission Site by October 1, 2015

Contact Info:
Elton (Skip) McGoun

School of Management Bucknell University



Contact Email: mcgoun@bucknell.edu
URL: http://ncp.pcaaca.org

CFP Sea Literature, History & Culture Area (10/1/015; PCA Seattle 3/22-25/2015)

Of potential interest:

Call for Proposals, Session, and Panels on SEA LITERATURE, HISTORY & CULTURE

Announcement published by Stephen Curley on Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Type: Call for Papers
Date: March 22, 2016 to March 25, 2016
Location: Washington, United States

For the joint national conference (22-25 March 2016 in Seattle, WA) of the Popular Culture & American Culture Associations (PCA/ACA), we invite proposals of individual papers or special panels.

Presentations related to fresh-water or sea-water may include topics like

 Literature, comics, art, music, television & movies
 History, politics, war & peace
 Culture, anthropology & ecology
 Folklore, mythology, legends & hoaxes
 Ships, boats, etc.
 Aquatic life
 Recreation, travel, tourism & festivals

DEADLINE: 1 Oct. 2015 to submit your 100-250 word proposal or abstract online to http://ncp.pcaaca.org

Contact Info:
Stephen Curley, Area Chair
Sea Literature, History & Culture
Dept. of General Academics
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Galveston, TX 77553-1675
(409) 740-4501
Contact Email:
curleys@tamug.edu
URL:
http://pcaaca.org

CFP Game Studies Area (10/1/15; PCA/ACA 2016)

Still cleaning my inbox:

Call for Submissions - Game Studies Area of Popular Culture Association/ American Culture Association
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/72221/call-submissions-game-studies-area-popular-culture-association
Discussion published by Daniel Fandino on Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Game Studies Area: 2016 PCA/ACA National Conference.

 The Game Studies area of the National Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association Conference invites proposals for papers and panels on games and game studies for the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference to be held Monday, March 21 through Friday, March 25, 2016 at the Sheraton in Seattle, WA.

The database for proposal submissions opens July 1.

Below, please find:

I. Topics of Interest

II. Submission Process

III. Information about the Conference

IV. Contact Information



----------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Topics of Interest

The organizers seek proposals and papers covering all aspects of gaming, gaming culture and game studies.  Proposals can address any game medium (computer, social, console, tabletop, etc) and all theoretical and methodological approaches are welcome.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:

-- new game mediums and platforms (Facebook, iPhone/iPad/iPod, etc)

-- representation or performance of race, class, gender and sexuality in games

-- gaming culture, game specific cultures, and multicultural and cross-cultural issues

-- game development, design, authorship and other industry issues

-- game advertising, reviews, packaging, promotion, integrated marketing and other commercial concerns

-- political and legal entailments such as regulation, censorship, intellectual property

-- ludology, textual criticism, media ecology, narratology, etc as paradigms for games studies

-- player generated content in MUDs and MMORPGs, Mods, maps and machinima

-- game genres, platforms, consoles, console wars and connections to other media

-- serious games for education, business, healthcare, (military) training, etc

-- space and place in games, play spaces, virtual/physical communities, mobile gaming and localization

-- digital literacy, discourse practices, social norms and norming, the politics of play

-- public discourse/controversy over violence, militarism, sex, criminality, racism, etc in games

-- game pedagogy and classroom practices, gamification, learning as play



II. Submission Process

The Game Studies area of the National Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association Conference, which began as the Video Games Studies area in 2003, has the most enduring footprint of any North American academic organization that give serious attention to the social and cultural impact of games and gaming. The area continues to grow and offers two avenues for scholars to participate and present their work.

A. Paper Proposals

For individual paper proposal submissions, please submit a 250-word (maximum) abstract by October 1, 2015.  Submissions must be made online at http://ncp.pcaaca.org.  Detailed instructions for using the online submission system can be found at http://www.pcaaca.org/conference/instructions.php.

B. Panel Proposals

For panel submissions, please submit a 250-word (maximum) panel abstract, as well as 100-word abstracts for each individual presentation, by October 1, 2015. Panel proposals must be emailed to digitalgames.pcaaca@gmail.com. Be sure to include the proposed title of the panel, the organizer’s name, affiliation, mailing address, and email, as well as this information for all panelists. Panel submissions may take the form of debates, dialogs, roundtable discussions, thematic panels, (or other format,) and should be designed to last approximately eighty minutes.



III. Information about the Conference

A. So that there will be ample time for discussion, each individual paper presentation should be designed to last approximately twelve to fifteen minutes (there will typically be four presentations per session with time for Q&A).

B. Technology for use during presentations may be limited. More information about the conference can be found at http://www.pcaaca.org/

C. Presenters will be required to join either the Popular Culture Association or the American Culture Association prior to attending the conference, as well as pay a registration fee for the conference. Information about these fees can be found at http://www.pcaaca.org/conference/membership_registration.php.

D. Awards and Travel Grants are offered, on a competitive basis, by the National Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association

1. Travel Grants

The Michael Schoenecke Travel Grant for Graduate Students to the National Conference. For application requirements, please visit http://www.pcaaca.org/grant/schoenecke.php

The Peter Rollins Travel Grant for Early-Career Faculty. For application requirements, please visit http://www.pcaaca.org/grant/rollins.php

The Madonna Marsden International Travel Grant for Individuals presenting at the National Conference. For application requirements, please visit http://www.pcaaca.org/grant/marsden.php

2. Graduate Student Awards

William E. Brigman Award for the Outstanding Graduate Student Paper presented at the National Conference in a specific year. Applications go to Brigman Award, c/o Gary Hoppenstand, Journal of Popular Culture, 4C Morrill Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 . Please send three hard copies of the paper (without author's name), as well as a copy on disc and photocopy of your student identification card. Those concerned for their privacy may obscure the Social Security number should it appear on the card. Please also include a copy of the acceptance letter/email from the PCA area chair who accepted the paper for presentation in the national conference. Papers should address popular culture and be accepted for a PCA panel. Submissions must be received by January 7th of the year the conference is held. The winning paper must be presented at the upcoming PCA/ACA meeting in the year it is accepted. Should the winning paper not be presented in person, the award will be forfeited. The winning author is invited to submit the essay to The Journal of Popular Culture and work with the editor toward its publication. This award is selected by a panel chosen by the editor of the journal. The winner receives a $500 travel award to attend the national conference in the year the paper is selected.

William M. Jones Award for the Outstanding Graduate Student Paper presented at the National Conference in a specific year. Entries are submitted to Amy Dudley, Editorial Assistant, William M. Jones Graduate Student Paper Award Selection Committee, the Journal of American Culture, Virginia Wesleyan College, 1584 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502. Papers must be submitted by January 7th of the year the conference is held. Three copies of the paper, as well as a photocopy of the applicant's student identification card must be submitted. Papers should address American culture. The winning paper must be presented at the PCA/ACA conference. The winner receives a $500 travel award to attend the national conference in the year the paper is selected. Should the winning paper not be presented in person, the award will be forfeited. The winning author should also submit the essay to the Journal of American Culture and work with the editor toward its publication. This award is selected by a panel chosen by the editor of the journal.



IV. Contact Information

Questions and concerns can be sent to digitalgames.pcaaca@gmail.com, or may be directed to one of the area chairs listed below.

Matthew Wysocki, Department of Communication, Flagler College

mwysocki@flagler.edu

Nicholas Mizer,

nicholas.j.mizer@gmail.com

Matthew Wysocki
Flagler College

Email: mwysocki@flagler.edu

CFP Animation Area (10/1/15; PCA/ACA 2016)

PCA/ACA Animation Division CFP for National Conference 2016
https://networks.h-net.org/node/73374/announcements/74545/pcaaca-animation-division-cfp-national-conference-2016
Announcement published by David Silverman on Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Type:
Call for Papers
Date:
October 1, 2015
Subject Fields:
Digital Humanities, Cultural History / Studies
The Animation Area of the Popular Culture Association seeks individual-papers and panel proposals for presentation at the National Conference of the Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association.

Proposals which consider the diversity of animation in relation to popular culture are welcomed. Possible themes for papers/panels include but are not restricted to:

Animated adaptations, comics and animation, propaganda, public information, advertising, animated television series, animation for education, animation aesthetics, gender issues, animation studios, online animation, comedy, documentary, South Park, the work of Matt Groening, CGI/animated special effects, anime.

Interested individuals are asked to submit an abstract of no more than 250 words (including presentation title) and complete contact information (name, institutional affiliation, mail and e-mail addresses, and contact telephone number) to http://ncp.pcaaca.org .  (Although the site is pretty user friendly, find general instructions at

http://pcaaca.org/national-conference-2/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-conference/ )

Panel proposals of 4 speakers and/or discussion panels of 4-6 participants each are also encouraged.

Please include the following:

Panel Title

Name and contact information for the Panel Chair


Titles and abstracts of each paper


Contact information for each presenter


All presenters must be members of the PCA and must register for the conference.

Here is the schedule of deadlines and pertinent dates:



1 July                          Database Opens for Submissions

1 October                    Registration Opens

1 October                    Deadline for Paper Proposals

15 November               Early Bird Registration Rate Ends

1 December                 Preliminary Program Available

15 December              “Drop Dead”: Participants Not Registered Removed from Program

1 January 2016            Final Program to the Publisher

15 February 2016        Conference schedule and program available

21-25 March 2016      Seattle!

Contact Info:
David S. Silverman
Kansas Wesleyan University
Salina, KS 67401
(785) 827-5541 ext. 5227
david.silverman@kwu.edu

AND/OR

Peter Chanthanakone
University of Iowa
peter@pixade.com
Contact Email:
david.silverman@kwu.edu

URL:
http://pcaaca.org/national-conference/proposing-a-presentation-at-the-conference/

CFP Tarot/Divination Area (10/1/15; PCA/ACA 2016)

CFP: Tarot/Divination at the 2016 PCA/ACA conference
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/75067/cfp-tarotdivination-2016-pcaaca-conference

Discussion published by Emily Auger on Thursday, July 16, 2015

It's time to submit proposals for the Tarot and Other Methods of Divination area at the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA) conference in Seattle March 21-25 (Monday through Friday), 2016. Possible topics may include, but are not limited to,

a) any aspect of the traditional or innovative uses of Tarot, astrology, cartomancy, I Ching, numerology, runes, tarot, tasseomancy, etc., such as counseling, fortune-telling, and gaming, etc.

b) the history and analysis of any of these practices, including relevant individuals, organizations, objects, texts, etc.

c) the history and analysis of representations of any of these practices in comics, drama, film, graphic novels, literature, television, etc.

All participants should be prepared to present their work as scholarly research and/or for the benefit of an interested audience of academics.

Submissions should be made to the conference website and should include an abstract or proposal (100-250 words), a short biography (100-150 words), and CV.

Deadline: The conference submission website closes Oct. 1, 2015.

Queries welcome.

Emily E. Auger, PhD

PCA/ACA Conference website: http://pcaaca.org/

Personal website with faq page for the area: http://emilyeauger.weebly.com/cfp-tarot--divination-at-the-pcaaca-conference.html

Email: augeremily@gmail.com

CFP PCA/ACA 2014 (11/1/14; New Orleans 4/1-4/14)

Calls for papers for next year's meeting of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association are beginning to appear online. The conference meets in New Orleans from 1-4 April 2015. Proposals may be submitted online at http://ncp.pcaaca.org/.

Here's what I've seen so far this summer:

CFP: World's Fairs and Expositions Area, Popular Culture Association/1-4 April 2015
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/35792/cfp-worlds-fairs-and-expositions-area-popular-culture-association1

CFP: Film @ History at PCA/ACA (11/1/14; 4/1-4/15)
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/36077/cfp-film-history-pcaaca-11114-41-415

Includes the following:

Additionally, papers exploring our current focus: Golden Ages: Styles and Personalities; Genres and Histories are especially welcome.  These might include, but are not limited to:

• The Golden Age of Science Fiction Film and Television