August Newsletter
This is the August MAPACA Newsletter. Our next Annual Conference is November 6-8 in Philadelphia, PA.
In this newsletter, we have:
#MAPACA2025 Annual Conference news - early registration is open and hotel information!
Call for Proposals for our high-density Popular Culture Crash Course
2025 Loretta Lorance Volunteer Recognition Award honoree Rebecca Stone Gordon
2025 Summer Virtual Symposium wrap-up
Important dates
#MAPACA2025 Annual Conference news
2025 Annual Conference
November 6-8, 2025
Philadelphia, PA
Early registration for this year’s conference is open at mapaca.net! With early registration, you can take advantage of the lowest registration rates of the year. Early registration ends August 31, and regular registration begins September 1. Registration rates will increase then, so register now and save!
The Annual Conference will be returning to the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse! Reserve your room for #MAPACA2025 today via this link! You may also call 1-800-SONESTA.
The base rates for hotel rooms are $183 for single and double occupancy, $193 for triple or quad occupancy + 16.36% local tax (subject to change without notice).
Call for Proposals for our high-density Popular Culture Crash Course
MAPACA seeks proposals for a special session at the 2025 annual conference. Please note: You are allowed to present at the Crash Course whether you are already presenting at our 2025 conference or not. As long as you register for the conference and your proposal is accepted, you are welcome!
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.
Topics
An ideal topic will be: current, significant, interesting, and the sort of thing people discuss before class/at parties/on social media. Examples could include (but are not limited to):
Public interest in viral moments like the Coldplay "kiss cam"
KPop Demon Hunters
Labubu
"Stomp-clap-hey" music and the worst song discourse
The TikTok (un)ban
Insert your great idea here
How to submit
Email a brief biography and a 75-word proposal that includes a presentation title, explanation of the topic, and identification of significance for contemporary popular culture research. (Please include this information in the body of your email, not as an attachment.) Email Dr. Tom Grochowski at crashcourse@mapaca.net. Deadline: September 4, 2025.
2025 Loretta Lorance Volunteer Recognition Award honoree Rebecca Stone Gordon
We are excited to announce that the recipient of the 2025 Loretta Lorance Volunteer Recognition Award is Rebecca Stone Gordon! The Lorance Award is granted to a conference participant who has contributed to the growth and success of the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association through service and leadership.
Rebecca Stone Gordon holds a B.A. in American History and Applied Anthropology, as well as an interdisciplinary M.S. in Audio Technology and Visual Media. She has worked at American University as a library staff member and as an adjunct in the Physics and Anthropology departments, and is planning to resume a nearly-complete M.A. in Biological Anthropology. Her research areas include American nuclear and cold war culture, archaeology in horror fiction, the history of medicine and anatomy, disability history, museum history, and mummies. Her work can be found in Death in Supernatural (2018), Shirley Jackson: A Companion (2021), and The Undead and the Anthropocene (2022).
After presenting at MAPACA for the first time in 2013, she quickly became an active and dedicated member of the MAPACA community. Deeply impressed by the work Meredith Guthrie was doing to grow the Disability Studies Area, Rebecca eagerly assumed a leadership role as co-Chair. Since then, she has worked to expand the area, foster inclusive scholarly dialogue, and mentor new participants. Her ongoing contributions have helped shape MAPACA as a welcoming and intellectually vibrant space for interdisciplinary work.
While she remains active in other professional organizations, Rebecca finds the greatest joy and inspiration in MAPACA’s collaborative, community-centered ethos. She is honored beyond words to be this year's recipient of the Lorance Award.
2025 Summer Virtual Symposium wrap-up
Thank you to all presenters and attendees for making the 2025 Summer Virtual Symposium a rousing success! It was a day of exciting and insightful popular culture presentations that brought together over 100 scholars from across the United States, Canada, Europe, and India.
Important dates
Early Registration - Now - August 31
Crash Course proposals due - September 4
Regular Registration - September 1 - September 30
Late Registration - October 1 - October 15
November 6-8, 2025 - MAPACA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA