This roundtable titled Monster on the Hill: Decentering Whiteness in Contemporary Horror is interested in questions facing the Horror Genre in its new contemporary era. In the wake of “Black Horror” being deemed “America’s Most Powerful Cinematic Genre” by the New York Times, and the success of auteurs such as Jordan Peele, Nia Dacosta, Iris K. Shim, and more, we seek to think through what are the most important questions facing those reinventing the horror genre in ways that de-center a white western lens? How might we conceptualize horror as a genre that demands both solidarity and betrayal from its viewers, while unifying marginalized populations across the global south and north? Moreover, how have artists in popular media found ways to heal racial and intergenerational trauma stemming from the real horrors of colonial terror, Anti-Blackness, gendered violence and more? Contrastingly, how does horror resist the ease of consumption and reconciliation, throwing into crisis the concept of healing in place for revenge and haunting? We aim to challenge and expand the generative possibilities of horror for non-white cinema; how might horror be mobilized beyond the purpose of shock value or a call-to-action? Our discussion will also address those deemed monstrous within the genre: how do TV and films such as FX’s Atlanta, Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny, and Jayro Bustamante’s La Llorona force us to question how we define monstrosity, and what it would mean to care for the monstrous? What more could this media tell us when put through the critical lenses of The Ethno Gothic, Settler Colonial Horror, and others?

Examining these questions and more, we are seeking others who are interested in discussing these questions and potential other relevant visual texts in the roundtable format. Please send a short abstract (200 words or less), 2 bibliography entries, and a short bio (50 words max) to Chamara Moore (They/Them) at cmoore@qc.cuny.edu by Aug 21st. Inquiries welcome! Potential panelists will be informed of decisions by Fri Aug 23rd.