This is the Late October MAPACA newsletter. Our next annual conference is November 7-9 in Atlantic City, NJ.
In this Newsletter, we have:
- Hotel and travel information
- Non-presenter single-day passes
- MAPACA merch!
- Conference events and happenings - Publishers’ Exhibit/Coffee & Tea, Receptions, Grad Student Gathering, and Crash Course**
- Odds and ends
- Our COVID-19 statement for the 2024 conference
- Important dates
Hotel and travel information
Reserve your room for #MAPACA2024 today!
Use this link to book your room at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, Atlantic City, NJ.
You can also book your room by calling 888-516-2215 (8 am-2 am EST, 7 days a week) and providing the group name Mid Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association and the group code ST11MA4.
If you are driving to the conference, the resort fee includes a $5 credit towards self-parking at the Tropicana.
Atlantic City is accessible by train via NJ Transit from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station and by bus from the New York City area. If you are arriving via plane, check out https://www.atlanticcitynj.com/plan/... for more information.
Non-presenter single-day passes
Day Passes for non-presenters are now available on mapaca.net! Rates are:
Thursday: $70 including the reception
Friday: $85 including the reception and Divine Impact Award with Samuel R. Delany
Saturday: $70 including the Crash Course with refreshments
Conference happenings - Publishers’ Exhibit/Coffee & Tea, Receptions, Grad Student Gathering, and Crash Course
Raise your hand if you love food and good times! We encourage you to bring your appetite to the Publishers’ Exhibit Coffee & Tea Breaks, the Receptions, and the Crash Course.
Publishers’ Exhibit/Coffee & Tea Breaks
The publisher exhibit will be open in Mambo 3 + 4 on Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
There will be daily coffee and tea breaks in the morning from 9 to 11:15 and in the afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30 on Thursday and Friday only.
2024 Reception and Annual Meeting - Thursday, November 7 from 6:30-8 in Castanet 1 + 2
Join us as we present the Lorance Award, Donald Award, and Walden Prize at the Reception and Annual meeting on Thursday, November 7 from 6:30-8 in Castanet 1 + 2. This year’s recipients are:
Lorance Award: Jordan McClain, PhD, longtime MAPACA contributor and consultant based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Donald Award: Jessica Hautsch for the paper “Casting the Self into Fictional Worlds through Online Personality Quizzes”
Walden Prize: David Frank for the paper “In-Between Seoul and Springfield: Korean Animation and The Simpsons”
Celebrate our award winners and enjoy a generous reception and cash bar.
2024 Divine Impact Award with winner Samuel R. Delany - Friday, November 8, 6-8:30 in North Tower Salons 3 & 4
The winner of the 2024 Divine Impact Award (DIA) is Samuel R. Delany! Come celebrate at the DIA Reception at the 2024 Annual Conference, Friday, November 8, 6-8:30 in North Tower Salons 3 & 4.
In 2016, Samuel R. Delany was inducted into the New York State Writers Hall of Fame. Filmmaker, novelist, and critic, he is the author of the award-winning books Babel-17 and Dark Reflections, as well as Nova, Dhalgren, and the Return to Nevèrÿon series. A retired professor, he lives in Philadelphia with his partner Dennis. His website is www.samueldelany.com.
Samuel Delany will have books for sale and will be doing a signing after the DIA talk! You can purchase on-site:
Atheist in the Attic - $12 Big Joe - $20
Cash is strongly encouraged. Delany will also sign personal books (up to four signatures total, per person). There is no charge for signings.
In addition, the audience will have a chance to ask questions at the Q&A portion of the DIA event. A generous reception and cash bar will accompany this event.
Graduate Student Gathering - Friday, November 8, 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm in Summit Hospitality Suite
Calling all graduate students! Join us for a meet-up with your fellow graduate students, an Atlantic City/New Jersey-themed trivia contest, networking, and light refreshments in a relaxed hospitality setting. A hint for dedicated newsletter readers - brush up on AC casino names!
Crash Course - Saturday, November 9, 12:15 pm to 1:45 pm in Castanet 1 + 2
The Crash Course is always one of our favorite events! It’s a high-density session featuring 5-minute micro-presentations about current popular culture topics. Light refreshments will be served!
Odds and ends
Connecting to technology
Remember to pack your adapters and dongles to connect your device to the projectors in the rooms, which have HDMI connections. We’re looking at you Macbook folks!
BYOL (bring your own lanyard) and Recycling badge holders
This was a great success in Philadelphia last year, so we’re bringing it back to help reduce waste at #MAPACA2024 in AC. Bring your favorite lanyard to use at the conference. Not only will your lanyard help reduce waste, but it will also be a stylish fashion accessory and conversation starter! Also, please recycle your badge holders at the end of the conference at a designated drop-off point.
MAPACA merch!
Looking for a way to show off your love for MAPACA? Grab some of our exclusive merch and wear your passion for popular culture proudly!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/MAP...
Social media
Follow us on social media to get the latest updates on the 2024 MAPACA Conference! Connect via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for #MAPACA2024 news and information!
COVID statement
We look forward to welcoming you to our 2024 conference this November. At this time, our conference will be mask-encouraged to support our immunocompromised community members. Remember, the proper wearing of a mask that covers your nose and mouth helps prevent community spread and protects everyone, especially immunocompromised colleagues.
Before the conference, please check to see if you are eligible for a vaccine or booster for COVID-19 or other seasonal diseases, such as the flu. Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccination locations near you. Keeping up to date with vaccines, in line with public health and your doctor’s guidance, further supports our community.
Finally, we are asking you to do your part in contributing to the health and well-being of your fellow MAPACA attendees by staying home if you feel sick and/or are symptomatic. The Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association (MAPACA) is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely. These guidelines may change based on infection rates in the country and Atlantic City, NJ as the conference approaches.
Important dates
- November 7-9: 2024 Conference in Atlantic City, NJ
Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA)
P.O. Box 1358
Lansdowne, PA 19050
To donate, please visit https://mapaca.net/donation