Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) 2026 Annual Conference, November 5-7, 2026 in Baltimore, MD

The True Crime Area invites papers and presentations on all aspects of True Crime, including but not limited to nonfiction stories of crimes across a range of media such as podcasts, film/documentaries, and television. Papers may deal with case narratives, psychology of a crime, or investigative journalism as it pertains to True Crime. We recognize the interdisciplinarity of the True Crime genre, and also welcome submissions that explore topics such as gender/demographics of audiences, perpetrators or victims; media literacy of True Crime; sensationalizing high profile cases; criminology, victimology, and forensics; wrongful convictions and advocacy; prevention of crime, family/victim consent, and survivor stories; crimes against POC, indigenous groups, or marginalized peoples; and more. Presentations should be aware of and respectful to victims and their families as applicable to the specific topic being explored. For additional information, see: https://mapaca.net/areas/true-crime

General CFP:

Proposals are welcome on all aspects of popular and American culture for inclusion in the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) conference. Single papers, panels, roundtables, and alternative formats are welcome. This conference will be held at the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore, MD.

Proposals should take the form of 300-word abstracts, and may only be submitted to one appropriate area. For a list of areas and area chair contact information, visit mapaca.net/areas. General questions can be directed to mapaca@mapaca.net. The deadline for submission is Tuesday, June 30th, 2025.

MAPACA’s membership is comprised of college and university faculty, independent scholars and artists, and graduate and undergraduate students. MAPACA is an inclusive professional organization dedicated to the study of popular and American culture in all their multi-disciplinary manifestations. It is a regional division of the Popular Culture and American Culture Association, which, in the words of Popular Culture Association founder Ray Browne, is a “multi-disciplinary association interested in new approaches to the expressions, mass media and all other phenomena of everyday life.”

For more information, visit mapaca.net.