Call for Papers, Panels, and PresentationsPage 23 LitConMay 31-June 2

500-word abstracts for papers, panels, creative presentations, roundtables, or any other appropriate event offering a critical approach on comics and pop culture are being accepted for a scholarly conference at

DENVER POP CULTURE CON at the Colorado Convention Center           DENVER, CO      MAY 31-JUNE 2, 2019

Now in its eighth year of affiliation with Pop Culture Classroom (https://popcultureclassroom.org/), the Page 23 LitCon seeks abstracts from all disciplinary and theoretical perspectives related not only to comics and graphic novels, but gaming, television, film, anime, wrestling, or toy studies. Any pop culture topic is welcome! This year, we are especially seeking work that relates to Wade Hudson & Cheryl Willis Hudson’s collection We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, a book of stories for young readers that respond to the question, “In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?”  Abstracts can connect to this text or central question in any number of direct or indirect ways.

In addition to the above special topic, we are also interested in:

• Panels centering on pop culture pedagogy, aimed at current teachers at all levels

• Papers addressing diversity of race, class, gender, neurology, sexuality, and ability in comics, and how those issues might be impacted by our current socio-political climate

• Papers addressing pop culture’s treatment of political issues such as the immigrant experience, Black Lives Matter, or others

• Papers or panels discussing the works of guests attending Denver Pop Culture Con! (see https://denverpopculturecon.com for a list of attendees)

• Proposals for pop culture-related play readings, creative writing workshops, slam poetry events, fiction readings, epic rap battles, and other fare beyond the traditional literary conference milieu  

Multimedia equipment (projectors, speakers, etc.) will be available to all presenters, and we encourage and prefer visually engaging presentations. Page 23 LitCon has no registration fee and acceptance includes a free three-day pass to Denver Pop Culture Con!  

The conference is co-directed by CUNY English professors Tracy Bealer and Jonathan Alexandratos. Please email abstracts and brief personal statements to tbealer@bmcc.cuny.edu or jalexandratos@qcc.cuny.edu by February 15th, 2019.