Report from PCA/ACA 2007

I've just returned from the 2007 conference of the Popular Culture and American Culture Association. AMST@UM was well-represented by about a dozen of us, mostly graduate students and a few undergraduate students. PCA/ACA has been one of my favorite conferences for decades -- it is always lively, open and surprising. It's also deteminedly accessible, despite a tendency toward reading papers (as opposed to presentations from papers). Most of the papers are written for an interdisciplinary audience, which means that assumptions are unpacked and jargon explained. I will admit to having diminishing patience with those who research and write about everyday culture in non-everyday language. I've always suspected it was in the interest of self-protection; if the reality TV/romance/Seinfeld fans you are writing about can't understand you, they can't argue with your (mis)interpretation of their experiences.

The saddest thing about attending PCA/ACA (or any large convention) is the impossibilitiy of hearing all the papers and making all the connections you'd like -- with 2,800 attendees, 799 sessions and an average of four papers per session over the course of four twelve-hour days, the best I could have done would be to hear perhaps six a day, and since I wear out fast, I only manage half that. (It's also necessary to skip sessions if you want to have an in-depth talk with someone, as often happens.) Discoveries/delights this time: wonderful session from librarians and archivists on new media, including Wikipedia and Youtube. A new PCA area: Senior Culture; inevitable with all the aging Boomer pop culture scholars, but promising some interesting moments.
There were the usual PCA/ACA moments as well: 25 sessions devoted to mystery and detective fiction, the annual Sci-Fi area film viewing (A 30th anniversary screening of "Star Wars: A New Hope") and Ray and Pat Browne, the George and Martha Washington of PCA, holding court near the registration table.

Mark your calendars: March 19-22, 2008 in San Francisco. (During the UM spring break, for a change!)