This is the July 2026 MAPACA Newsletter. The next Summer Virtual Symposium is July 26. Our next Annual Conference is November 5-7 in Baltimore, MD.

In this newsletter, we have:

• Summer Virtual Symposium information and non-presenter registration

• 2026 Annual Conference reminders and information

• Call for Proposals for our High-Density Popular Culture Crash Course

• Important dates

Summer Virtual Symposium information and non-presenter registration

It’s almost here! This Sunday, July 26, is the MAPCA 2026 Summer Virtual Symposium. We are looking forward to a great day of MAPACA presentations! You can find a link to the schedule here.

Are you free this Sunday? Maybe trying to escape the heat? Log on and attend the symposium! Registration for non-presenting attendees is available for $30.For more information and to register, visit mapaca.net. To view the virtual symposium schedule, click this link and login with your MAPACA account.

2026 MAPACA Annual Conference reminders and information

The MAPACA 2026 Annual Conference will be held November 5-7 at the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore, MD. In the very near future, we will share more information about conference registration and hotel room blocks and rates. Mark the dates in your calendar today!

Call for Proposals for our High-Density Popular Culture Crash Course

MAPACA seeks proposals for a special session at the 2026  annual conference.

Please note: You ARE ALLOWED to present at the Crash Course whether you are already presenting at our 2026 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 talk about before class/at parties/on social media.

Examples could include (but are not limited to):

• The World Cup and international fans as tourists

• The End of Doctor Who...again

• Prediction markets and pop culture

• Netflix and the Second Season Problem

• Adaptations, from the classics of Frankenstein and “Wuthering Heights” to the instant purchase of the rights to Yesteryear by Anne Hathaway.

• Episodic TV and Love Island

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 [email protected]. The deadline is September 9, 2026.

Important Dates

• July 26: 2026 Summer Virtual Symposium

• September 9: Crash Course submission deadline

• November 5-7: 2026 MAPACA Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD