This is the late July MAPACA Newsletter. The next conference is November 8-10, 2018 (Baltimore, MD).
In this newsletter, we have:
2018 Divine Impact Award Recipient Announcement
Early Conference Registration for #mapaca18
Hotel Information for #mapaca18
CFP for our annual High-Density Popular Culture Crash Course Special Session
Information about the Mt. Vernon Ghost Tour
2018 Divine Impact Award Recipient: Rabia Chaudry
We are pleased to announce our 2018 winner of the Divine Impact Award, Rabia Chaudry. A longtime resident of Baltimore, Ms. Chaudry is a wife, mother, attorney, and a 2016 Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at U.S. Institute of Peace, where she researched the intersection of religion and violent extremism. Ms. Chaudry brought Adnan Sayed’s story to the attention of Sarah Koenig, who turned it into the popular podcast Serial, launching the true crime podcast phenomenon. While Serial was popular, Ms. Chaudry wanted to continue working for justice for Adnan Sayed and others like him, so she started her own podcast, Undisclosed, with two other lawyers. Undisclosed, which has reached over 2 million downloads, covers cases of wrongful conviction and police misconduct, and partners with the Innocence Project to overturn wrongful convictions. Ms. Chaudry is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Adnan’s Story, which delves further into the evidence in Sayed’s case. We are honored to present Ms. Chaudry with our 2018 Divine Impact Award. Ms. Chaudry will participate in a Q&A and reception at our November conference. For more information about Ms. Chaudry and Undisclosed, please see http://www.rabiachaudry.com/ and http://undisclosed-podcast.com/
Early Conference Registration for #mapaca18
Early conference registration for #mapaca18 is live! The early registration discount is in effect now through August 14. Save money by registering during the early registration period. The increased regular registration rates go into effect August 15. Register now at mapaca.net.
Book Your Stay at the Lord Baltimore Hotel for #mapaca18
Reserve your room for the conference at the Lord Baltimore Hotel! Conference rate rooms will go fast. To book your room call 855-539-1928 or go online.
Special Session - Call for Proposals: High-Density Popular Culture Crash Course (Deadline: September 8, 2018)
MAPACA seeks proposals for a special session at this year’s 29th annual conference.
Panel Overview:
This high-density session will feature several 5-minute micro-presentations about current popular culture topics in a “crash course” about new and interesting phenomena.
Since many attendees often spend the majority of their conference time attending presentations related to only one or a few areas, this special session will offer a chance to learn about a diverse range of topics meant to inform popular culture scholars beyond their specific research interests.
Proposals will be selected based on merit and diversity of topics. Please note that due to the nature of this special session, presenters are allowed to participate in both this session and other conventional panels.
Topics:
An ideal topic will be: current, significant, interesting, and the sort of thing people talk about before class/at parties/on social media. Possible topics could include, but are not limited to:
- “branded streetwear”
- Disney’s presence in the fashion world
- pop-up stores
- Twitter-thread editorials
- “Pee Tape” and other Trump-related matters
- #meetoo and industry leadership changes
- Disney and Comcast fighting for 20th Century Fox
- 10 Years of the MCU (or the failure of the DCEU now being re-branded)
How to Submit:
Email a brief biography and a 75-word proposal that includes a presentation title, explanation of the topic, and identification of its significance for contemporary popular culture research. Please include this information in the body of your email, not as an attachment. Please direct your crash course submission to Dr. Tom Grochowski: tgrochowski@sjcny.edu by the September 8, 2018 deadline.
Mt. Vernon Ghost Tour
Please join us Friday evening as we embark on a ghost tour of Baltimore’s oldest neighborhood, Mt. Vernon. Tour guides from Baltimore Ghost Tours℠ will be sure to scare up some frightening facts about this storied section of the city, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark District. The tour will begin at 8:30 pm in the lobby of the Belvedere Hotel, a short walk from our conference site. Ticket price ($13) includes a tip for the guide. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets today for some fearsome fun! To register please go to: https://mapaca.net/store/2018/baltimore-ghost-tour
Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA)
P.O. Box 25033 Philadelphia, PA 19147-0033