fan studies and fandom

The confluence of sports culture and sociopolitical issues has a long history. Memorable examples of athletes of yesteryear embracing activism include Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists against institutional racism, Muhammad Ali opposing the Vietnam War, and Billie Jean King fighting for gender equity. Contemporary examples include Colin Kaepernick protesting police violence against people of color and the U.S. women’s national soccer team charging U.S. Soccer with gender discrimination. Each example underscores the reality that athletes are so much more than the games they play. Many authors have honored this tradition through the fictional athletes they portray in contemporary sports-related young adult literature (YAL).

Given the evident command of the celebrity in 20th- and 21st-century media cultures and following modern trends toward trans-medial and inter-generic production, this traditional session calls for papers that explore the relationships between celebrity and generic scandals. How have filmmakers, television writers, tabloid/entertainment journalists, novelists, essayists, biographers, memoirists, and other cultural creators depicted celebrity scandal while pushing the limits of their given genre or medium? While the 20th and 21st centuries are the focus of this call, media and literary scholars of all periods are welcomed to apply. History-bending is happily encouraged alongside genre-bending. Scandals could involve:

Submissions for our first issue (Harry Potter) will be open from February 1 until April 1.  Submissions can focus on the Harry Potter books, films, other media, or any expressions of the fan cultures of Harry Potter, including fan fiction, art, sports, or fan communities of other kinds.  

You may submit once per issue for each category (creative non-fiction and academic essays). We are not interested in publishing fan fiction or poetry.

Submissions must be 2500-7500 words and, if scholarly, must be in MLA citation format. Please use Times New Roman 12 pt font. Current undergraduates and graduate students in any major or field are eligible to submit, as are holders of master’s degrees.

2020 MPCA/ACA Conference: Animation and Anime

Call for Papers. The Midwest Popular Culture Association/Midwest American Culture Association seeks proposals for papers and panels both on Western animation and on anime for its 2020 Conference, to be held Friday-Sunday, 2-4 October 2020 at the Westin Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  As animation and anime cover all kinds of storytelling, topics may include but are not limited to the following suggestions:

CALL FOR PAPERS, ABSTRACTS, AND PANEL PROPOSALS

Midwest Popular Culture Association/Midwest American Culture Association Annual Conference — Television Area

Friday-Sunday, 2-4 October 2020

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Westin Minneapolis

Address: Westin Minneapolis: 88 South 6th Street, Minneapolis MN 55402 Phone: (612) 333-4006