Westerns and the West Area of the Popular Culture Association
PCA/ACA 2012 National Convention
Wednesday, April 11 – Saturday, April 14, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts

The area Westerns and the West values a variety of approaches to the exploration of America's frontier heritage and mythology.

Topics range from Westerns as novels, films, and television shows to historical, ethnic and racial, musical, and gender studies of the Old West. Panelists have also included contemporary themes, such as studying the environment of the modern ranches or exploring other film subgenres as outgrowths of the Western. Several researchers have expressed an interest in Westerns and Western items for children as well as rodeo studies as part of popular culture. Even a look at nostalgia for the Old West can offer ideas for meaningful research. Generally, the Westerns panels as a whole reflect a balanced study of fact and fiction, a variety of genres, and inclusion of diverse cultures populating the frontier.
Please send an abstract of about 150 - 250 words to identify the focus of your research. Specific details will enable me to place your paper on an appropriate panel. Preferably email the proposal by Microsoft Word attachment. Do include your name, college affiliation, address, email, and other relevant contact information for my use. Please begin your subject line with PCA 2012 to help me identify proposals quickly.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: December 15, 2011.
I will notify you of acceptance within two weeks of receiving your proposal so that you can apply to another area if needed. In early January2012, I will then send panelists a complete outline of the Westerns panels to enable presenters to view each panel as a unit, rather than as a random collection of presenters.

Helen M. Lewis
Humanities and English
Western Iowa Tech Community College, 4647 Stone Avenue, Sioux City, IA 51106
Helen.Lewis@witcc.edu AND helen2000hum@yahoo.com