2024 Conference Page

Call for Papers

The 2024 Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA) will host its annual conference this fall as a hybrid conference from Thursday, October 3 – Saturday, October 5. Virtual sessions will take place on Thursday evening and Friday morning via Zoom, and in-person sessions will take place on Friday evening and Saturday morning at Nichols College, Dudley, Massachusetts. 

We are excited to be back together again face-to-face and to continue providing a virtual option for access and affordability. We are looking forward to another engaging and rewarding conference for new and seasoned members alike. We are seeking proposals for panels and presentations for this year’s conference.

NEPCA prides itself on holding conferences that emphasize sharing ideas in a non-competitive and supportive environment. We welcome proposals from graduate students, independent scholars, disciplinary professionals, junior faculty, and senior scholars. NEPCA conferences offer intimate and nurturing sessions in which new ideas and works-in-progress can be aired, as well as completed projects.

We have several dozen areas for you to submit your proposal, so be sure to check out our Conference Areas to determine the best place for your proposal.  If you have questions about a particular area, reach out and ask the appropriate Area Chair.

The call will be open until June 15 by 11:59p.m. (EST). You can submit your proposal at this link, which will ask the following questions about your proposal:

  • Proposal Type (Single Presentation or Panel)
  • Modality (in person or virtual)
  • Subject Area
  • Working Title
  • Academic Affiliation (if any)
  • Abstract (250 words)
  • Short bio (50-200 words)
  • Accommodations
  • Preferences for when to present

Notes about the process:

  1. After you submit your proposal, you should receive an email confirmation of your submission within 24 hours.
  2. Within 2 weeks, you should also be notified if your proposal is accepted.
  3. NEPCA honors a submission practice where if your first submission was declined prior to the CFP deadline, then you are welcome to re-submit a revised proposal or submit to a different area.
  4. NEPCA will only take 1 submission at a time, and presenters can only present at 1 panel per conference.
  5. If your proposal is accepted, you need to register for the conference in order to present by no later than Friday, September 15, by 11:59pm ET.
  6. If you have any questions about the conference, please reach out to Lance Eaton, the Executive Secretary (northeastpopculture@gmail.com). 

Is This Your 1st Time Submitting a Proposal for a Conference?

That’s great! We’re glad to have you. The first thing to consider is if you have a topic of research that is relevant to NEPCA. The answer is almost always “yes!” but the submission process is there to help make sure you are clear about how your work intersects with popular culture. Here are some tips to consider:

  1. Check out our Conference Areas: Look at our different areas and determine where your topic makes most sense. You may find 2-3 areas that intersect and that’s normal. Choose the one that makes most sense for your area.
  2. Review the conference guidelines: Carefully read and follow the submission requirements specified on the conference page. This may include word limits, formatting, and deadlines.
  3. Write a clear and concise abstract: It doesn’t have to be perfect but it should capture clearly the gist of your argument and the relevant popular culture involved.
  4. Highlight the area that you’re submitting to: Demonstrate how your work connects with the area that you have chosen.
  5. Revise and proofread: Double-check your proposal for spelling, grammar, and clarity. We’re not sticklers for these things, but they can help further clarify your points.
  6. When in doubt, ask! If the question is about the area, reach out to the area chair. Introduce yourself and your interest in the area; then identify the question you have. If the question is about the conference as a whole, then reach out to Lance Eaton (northeastpopculture@gmail.com).

COVID & Public Health Practices 

In recognition that October is typically a month when various airborne illnesses spike (COVID, flu, cold, etc.), we want to be cautious in terms of gathering 100+ folks for a conference in order to be accessible to as many people as possible, including those who may be immunocompromised or have underlying vulnerabilities.  

Unless circumstances change, such as a new variant or increased threat by COVID or other illnesses, which would result in changes to an entirely virtual conference, we will be following these steps to improve the safety of all our members:

  1. All members attending the in-person portion of the conference will be given masks at the registration.
  2. All name-tags will have signage that participants can use to signal their level of comfort in social distancing from others. 
  3. We encourage people to wear masks out of courtesy and reasonable care for one another.
  4. We recognize that these conditions will not be sufficient enough to make everyone medically safe and that some folks may choose not to attend physically. To provide a more inclusive conference, we also commit to the following:
    1. Providing opportunities for people to virtually attend all physical sessions.
    2. Leverage our Discord channel and other tactics to increase community interaction and opportunities for virtual attendees to connect and network with others.
    3. Identifying and fostering activities virtually will also allow for networking and community.  (If you are interested in getting involved with this portion of the conference, please contact Lance Eaton, northeastpopculture@gmail.com.)