The Monsters & the Monstrous Area of the Northeast Popular Culture Association (a.k.a. NEPCA) seeks proposals for inclusion in NEPCA’s 2026 annual conference.
The event will run as a virtual conference from Thursday, October 15th, through Saturday, October 17th. Virtual sessions will take place via Zoom throughout the day on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Registration will open up in mid-July. The registration fee is expected to be around 50 USD.
The Monsters & the Monstrous Area welcomes proposals that investigate any of the things, whether mundane or marvelous, that scare us. Through our sessions, we hope to pioneer fresh explorations into the darker sides of the intermedia traditions of the fantastic (including, but not restricted to, aspects of fairy tale, fantasy, gothic, horror, legend, mythology, and science fiction) by illuminating how creative artists have both formed and transformed our notions of monsters within these sub-traditions in texts from various countries, time periods, and media and for audiences at all levels. Our primary goal is to foster a better understanding of monsters in general and to examine their impact on those who receive their stories as well as on the world at large.
In addition, as a component of the Northeast Popular Culture Association, the Monsters and the Monstrous Area is also especially interested in fostering discussion and debate on the monsters and the monstrous of the Northeastern United States (here defined as New England and New York). Topics might include the Borden Family Murders, the Bridgewater Triangle, the Legends of Sleepy Hollow, the New England Gothic tradition, the New England Vampire Panic, the New England Witchcraft Hysteria, and the life, works, and legacies of local Gothic/horror authors such as Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Joe Hill, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, and H. P. Lovecraft.
NEPCA prides itself on holding conferences that emphasize sharing ideas in a non-competitive and supportive environment. We welcome proposals from graduate students, independent scholars, disciplinary professionals, junior faculty, and senior scholars. NEPCA conferences offer intimate and nurturing sessions in which new ideas and works-in-progress can be aired, as well as completed projects.
The call will be open until Monday, June 15, by 5 pm EDT. Submissions should be made directly at https://www.northeastpca.org/call-for-papers. This site offers full information on the submission process and a link to send your proposal to us. If you have any questions about the conference, please reach out to the Executive Secretary, Lance Eaton (northeastpopculture@gmail.com).
Questions on the Monsters & the Monstrous Area can be directed to the area chair, Michael A. Torregrossa (popular.preternaturaliana@gmail.com). The area maintains a series of blogs that offer resources and potential topics. Please access them at Popular Preternaturaliana: Studying the Monstrous in Popular Culture (https://popularpreternaturaliana.blogspot.com/).
No comments:
Post a Comment