Call for Papers: Literature and Madness, PCA/ACA Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, 12-15 April 2017

Type: Call for Papers
Date: October 1, 2016
Location: California, United States
Subject Fields: Area Studies, Cultural History / Studies, Health and Health Care, History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Literature

The Literature and Madness section of the Popular Culture Association is soliciting 15-20 minute papers for the upcoming year’s annual PCA/ACA conference in San Diego, CA, scheduled for 12-15 April 2017.  The deadline for abstract submission is 1 October 2016.
Contributors are encouraged to think broadly about either or both terms of “literature” and “madness.”  For instance, madness can be addressed in its contemporary medical forms, as codified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), or it can be considered in any of the forms it has been assigned in other historical periods.  Likewise, literature can be viewed widely.  Past panels have included analysis of popular and canonical literary works and/or genres, but they have also included analysis of film, opera and musical theatre, song lyrics, instrumental music, single-media and multi-media art, and the cultural and economic conditions surrounding the production, publication, performance, and/or installation of such works.

The Literature and Madness section accepts submissions from faculty members, graduate students, and independent scholars.  Undergraduate students are encouraged to submit abstracts to the undergraduate sessions offered during the conference.

Abstracts of 250-300 words should be submitted electronically on the PCA/ACA Web site, through the links and process detailed at http://ncp.pcaaca.org/user.  Prospective contributors who have questions about submitting an abstract or who encounter difficulty with the electronic links and process on the PCA/ACA Web site should contact the Area Chair for the section.