Call for Papers: True Blood and the SW Popular Culture Association

CFP: True Blood SW/TX PCA/ACA (12/1/11; 2/8-11/12)

Join us for the 33rd Annual Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Associations Conference, February 8-11, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Area Chairs of the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture/American Culture Associations (www.swtxpca.org) invites paper or panel proposals about the television series True Blood.

Proposal submission deadline: December 1, 2011.

Any and all topics will be considered, although we especially encourage proposals on:

– The series’ vampire mythos in relation to other vampire archetypes/popular constructions of vampires
– The construction of the American South
– Socioeconomic class
– Sexuality & Gender Performance
– Race & Ethnicity
– Violence, Sex, & Eroticism
– The Music of True Blood
– The adaptation/transformation of the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris into the television series
– Fan culture
– Any topics exploring the intersections of True Blood and this year’s theme “Food and Culture.”

Submit 250 word paper or 500 word panel proposals to:

http://conference2012.swtxpca.org/ (Choose the area “Science Fiction & Fantasy – True Blood.” Online submission will be available after September 1. If you are experiencing difficulties with the website, please email your proposal to the address listed below.)

Direction questions to: Tamy Burnett, tamy.burnett@gmail.com

Deadline for proposal submissions: December 1, 2011. Earlier proposals are welcomed and will be responded to with all due haste. The registration deadline is December 31, 2011. All participants must register by that date or they will not be permitted to present or appear in the program.

Conference hotel:

Hyatt Regency Albuquerque
330 Tijeras
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: 1.505.842.1234
Fax: 1.505.766.6710

For Conference Rate Reservations and other details on the conference, please visit the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture/American Culture Association: www.swtxpca.org.

More about the SF&F Area:

With an average of 70+ presenters annually, The Science Fiction and Fantasy Area of the Southwest and Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Association is one of the most dynamic and well attended areas at the conference. Numerous book and article publications have originated from our panels.

The Area was founded in 1995 by Prof. Richard Tuerk of the Texas A&M University-Commerce (formerly East Texas State University) and author of Oz in Perspective (McFarland, 2007). The Area is currently chaired by Ximena Gallardo C. of the City University of New York-LaGuardia and co-author of Alien Woman: The Making of Lt. Ripley (Continuum: 2004), Alyson Buckman of the California State University-Sacramento and winner of the 2011 Mr. Pointy Award for best essay in Whedon Studies; Tamy Burnett of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, co-editor of The Literary Angel (McFarland, 2010); and Brian Cowlishaw of Northeastern State University, author of No Future Shock Here: The Jetsons, Happy Tech, and the Patriarchy (The Galaxy is Rated G, McFarland: 2011). Though the co-chairs consult on submissions, Ximena is primarily responsible for the general organization of the conference panels and coordinates special panels, Alyson and Tamy coordinate the Whedonverse panels (Buffy, Firefly, Angel, and etc.), Tamy coordinates annual special topics related to SFF television, and Brian reviews and organizes the literature panels and other special topics (this year Twilight and Game of Thrones).