This is MAPACA’s Fall 2017 Letter from the President. The next conference is November 9-11, 2017 (Philadelphia, PA).
With #mapaca17 right around right around the corner, here is a letter from the president…
One thing that makes the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) conference special is the do-it-yourself (DIY) spirit behind the organization.
The region doesn’t have a popular and American culture association? Let’s make one (MAPACA). Your article doesn’t fit the scope of those other journals, or they don’t think your dissertation topic is significant? You wish more people could find your work? Let’s build our own online, open-access publication (Response). You wish popular and American culture scholarship did more to connect with the practitioners whose work we obsess over? Let’s make an award for those people and invite them to our conference (the Divine Impact Award).
At its core, the MAPACA conference is very much a DIY project that exists because of need, imagination, and hard work. Colin Helb (Past President) and I have talked about this many times: MAPACA reminds us of the punk rock shows we used to “organize” when we were kids. With our friends, we created the concerts we always wanted. And in that same way, MAPACA is the conference we always wanted. It is a meeting point where academic misfits, proud geeks, and professional networkers alike can come together to learn from each other. This scholarly conference is part punk rock basement show, part Comic-Con, and part office party.
The point is: We worked hard and made this by ourselves, we made it for you, and we hope you enjoy experiencing it as much as we have enjoyed imagining it.
As I near the end of my term as elected president, I want to thank the entire organization for the opportunity to serve and shape this special group. I am especially thankful to the exceptional MAPACA board for their efforts, commitment, and collegiality: Mary Behrman, Brigitte Bogar, Anna Brecke, Shannon Cole, Pam Detrixhe, Tom Grochowski, Meredith Guthrie, Erin Heisel, Colin Helb, Matt Hill, Melinda Lewis, Leigha McReynolds, Mary Beth Ray, Raj Shobha Singh, Candice Roberts, Quincy Thomas, Diana Vecchio, and Franny Zawadzki.
Best wishes for a productive conference and good luck out there, everyone.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jordan M. McClain
MAPACA President (2017)
#mapaca17
Find MAPACA on Twitter and Facebook, connect with others using #mapaca17, and don’t forget to explore mapaca.net for conference details.