cfp.english.upenn.edu

MAP/ACA War Area
2010 Conference of the Mid Atlantic Popular / American Culture Association

The Crowne Plaza Hotel
901 North Fairfax
Alexandria, VA
October 28th, 2010 to October 31, 2010

War has been one of the few constants in human history, waged by nations, tribes, and other factions for numerous reasons—some valid and noble, some questionable. This area will feature papers that explore the ways that wars—declared and undeclared, just and unjust, sacred and profane, fictional and "real"—have impacted the social, economic, technological, ideological, and other aspects of culture. The War Area welcomes papers on war from many different approaches.

Special Panel for the 2010 Conference:  Comics, Graphic Novels, and War.  This panel will feature papers discussing the representation of war in the media in comic strips, comic books, non-animated cartoons, and graphic novels.   Proposals on any aspect of war related to this medium are welcomed. 

The War Area also welcomes general proposals including, but not limited to, the following topics for the 2010 conference: 

• War and popular film
• War on television
• Representations of war in literary works  (fiction, poetry, or drama)
• Documentary film and war
• Technology and war
• War and gender
• Aspects of journalistic coverage of war
• The “War on Terror” and popular culture
• War and popular music
• Cultural productions of protest / anti-war movements
• War and Race
• Language and war
• Oral histories of war experiences (both “combat” and “home front”)
• War in science fiction or fantasy Queer approaches to war
• Visual art and war (including historical approaches)
• War in video or role-playing games
• Blogging / Social Networking / New Media and war
• War as metaphor

Please send 250-300 word proposals to via email to Matthew Hill, MAPACA War Area chair, at redmanx999@gmail.com .  Proposals must be received by June 30th, 2010 to be considered for the conference.