Worcester State College to Host

26th Annual New England Popular Culture Conference

(Worcester, MA – October 1, 2003) Worcester State College will host the 26^th annual conference of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association (NEPCA), from October 31 to November 1, 2003. 

NEPCA members will spend two days presenting scholarly papers, doing readings, viewing films and engaging in discussions.  Younger scholars, independent scholars, and graduate students often participate as do folk artists, filmmakers, and creative scholars and performers. Some of the topics at the conference include: “American Controversies,” “Medievalism, Wizards and Monsters,” “City Trash,” “Antebellum New England Women and Education,” “Military Images,” “Culture in America,” Child’s Play;” and many others (see agenda).

Peter Holloran, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at WSC, is the program chair for NEPCA.  According to Holloran, the conference will be an “an exciting, eclectic program of 30 panel presentations and lively discourse about topics that affect our everyday lives. We are delighted to hold our conference in the heart of the Commonwealth.”

NEPCA is a regional affiliate of the American Culture Association and the Popular Culture Association.  The purpose of this professional association is to encourage and assist research, publication, and teaching on popular culture and culture studies topics by scholars in the northeast region of the U.S.  By bringing together scholars from various disciplines, both academic and non-academic people, interdisciplinary research and learning are fostered.  Past conferences have been held at Colby-Sawyer College, Southern Connecticut State University, University of Southern Maine, Suffolk University, WPI, Bates College, Providence College and Pine Manor College. 

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