next »

[clark]

Does anyone know anything about the Midwest Popular Culture Association conference?  I am considering sending in a proposal, but I have never attended and I don't know how intellectually rigorous (or well organized and well attended) the conference has been in the past.  Forgive my jitters, but a couple of years ago I presented at another conference I had never heard of, and it was attended only by a handful of others, mostly grad students presented, and it was very poorly run.

[dundee]

I have attended the Midwest PCA a few times. It was well-organized and usually had between 600-800 attendees. Whether or not your panel is well-attended will really depend on the time-slot and the competing panels. In my experience, most regional conferences in the humanities have too many concurrent panels, so that each panel ends up with about ten people in the audience. As for the quality of papers, I think that also varies greatly. I've heard awful papers presented at prestigious conferences and brilliant papers delivered to 3 people at small, regional conferences - it's a crapshoot.

[bibliothecula]

It's a hoot--there are usually lots of fun papers and people. The papers are not always the most intellectual you'll ever hear, but there are often really good sessions.

[lenniel]

I second that.  I've never made it to a regional PCA conference, but go to the national when I can.  It is loads of fun, you meet interesting people, and can hear papers on everything from vampire lesbians, to Battlestar Gallactica to medieval medicine.  Some of the papers can be awful, but most are not bad. 

I like to pick sessions on topics about which I know nothing.  Often, I hear new theories or about new books I never would have otherwise.

[ufo_tofu]

The MPCA was probably my least favorite conference experience.  My panel only had 1 person in the audience.  The papers I listened to were really not rigorous at all.  And, as I recall, it was really expensive.  I won't go to that one again . . .

[clark]

Is it mainly grad students who present there?  Is that why the quality of the papers is poor?   

[lenniel]

It's a mixed bag of grads and profs.  The culture of the PCA is pretty inclusive (read: not too choosy) so a lot of grads get a chance to present.  I've had the experience of being one of 3 people at a session and presenting to 4, but I don't go for that.  I got for the break, generally, and to do something way outside of my field.

I think others do the same, as it is fun and sometimes you hear dynamite work as well.  I heard several papers at the national conference this year that were terrific, and they were all given by masters and doctoral students.  The so-called pros were not as good, with a few notable exceptions.

[kolnikov]

I have been thinking of submitting a proposal to this one, too.  I'm concerned about this not just as a unfulfilling experience but, instead of a cv builder, a cv detractor.  Does it have a bad reputation?  Will search committees scoff at the sight of a Midwest PCA entry on my cv?

[lenniel]

Depends on what your field is, really.  You also don't have to put it on your CV unless you think it will strengthen it.  If you are in cultural or pop culture studies, ask around.  I know there are plenty more conferences in the pop/culture field, but since it is only something I do as "restful" research, I don't know the reputation.