cfp.english.upenn.edu

2010 Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Associations
Albuquerque, NM

February 10-13, 2010
Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, NM
(a great place to be in February)
http://swtxpca.org

Deadline for proposals: Dec. 15, 2009; Priority Registration Deadline 11/1/09

The Southwest/Texas branch of the PCA/ACA announces a call for papers on popular culture and religion to be presented at its annual meeting in Albuquerque. Papers should be approximately 20-25 minutes long. Proposals should be no longer than 300 words. Days and times of sessions to be determined.

The Southwest/Texas regional meeting is the largest regional meeting of the PCA/ACA. This is a great conference both for younger scholars and seasoned veterans. The papers are always interesting; the discussion is thoughtful, challenging, and fun. People are laid back and glad to talk about the various aspects of pop culture. Religion scholars often find that religion is a subject in many other areas of the conference as well.
Possible topics for this year:
The turn toward religion at the end of Battlestar Galactica
Angels- they seem to be everywhere. Why now?
The fate of evangelical power in Obama’s America
The secular coast vs the religious heartland in contemporary America.

Other than that, anything goes. Proposals are invited from a broad range of perspectives. Yoga, quilting, football, hot rods, hip hop, consumerism, militarism, Christianity - all forms of religion are open for discussion. Papers on religion in the Southwest would be particularly appreciated. If you’re not sure that your topic fits, just ask.

We had some great papers last year, followed by interesting and thought-provoking discussions. Let’s do it again.

Paper are welcome from graduate students as well as established scholars. We are aiming for variety and cross-disciplinary dialogue rather than narrowly focused discussions.

Please send a brief abstract with short bio to:
wesley.bergen@wichita.edu