Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) 2026 Virtual Summer Symposium, July 26, 2026

This one-day virtual event on July 26, 2026 is in addition to our 3-day conference in November to accommodate scholars outside the Mid-Atlantic region and those for whom an in-person event is otherwise inaccessible. We greatly encourage international scholars to submit for this dynamic, one-day event!

The True Crime Area invites papers and presentations on all aspects of True Crime, including but not limited to nonfiction stories of crimes across a range of media such as podcasts, film/documentaries, and television. Papers may deal with particular case narratives, psychology of a crime, or investigative journalism as it pertains to True Crime. We recognize the interdisciplinarity of the True Crime genre, and also welcome submissions that explore topics such as gender/demographics of audiences, perpetrators or victims; media literacy of True Crime; sensationalizing high profile cases; criminology, victimology, and forensics; wrongful convictions and advocacy; prevention of crime, family/victim consent, and survivor stories; crimes against POC, indigenous groups, or marginalized peoples; and more. Presentations should be aware of and respectful to victims and their families as applicable to the specific topic being explored. For additional information, see: https://mapaca.net/areas/true-crime

Proposals should take the form of 300-word abstracts, and may only be submitted to one appropriate area. For the Summer Symposium, presentations may be formed into panels across a number of related areas. For a list of areas and area chair contact information, visit mapaca.net/areas. General questions can be directed to mapaca@mapaca.net. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, April 30th, 2026.

For more information, visit mapaca.net.