Mythcon 52 - Progress Report #2
July 29 - August 1, 2022
Mythcon 52
The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien
Albuquerque, New Mexico
July 29 - August 1, 2022 (in-person and virtual attendance options)
July 29 - August 1, 2022 (in-person and virtual attendance options)
Progress Report #1 for Mythcon 52 (downloadable PDF)
Progress Report #2 for Mythcon 52 (downloadable PDF)
Call for Papers-- updated with extended deadline and virtual presentation options!
Mythcon 52 Registration -- Prices increase June 1!
Mythcon 52 Banquet -- in-person only
HOTEL! Book your hotel reservations now! (and Meals information)
Notes from Mythcon 52 Organizing Committee Co-Chairs
Megan Abrahamson and Leslie Donovan
We hope you are as excited as we are for an in-person Mythcon! Our program is shaping up to be a diverse one,
with good Inklings coverage as well as explorations of newer Mythopoeic multimedia. See
Papers/Panels and Special Programming, below, for more information on this
year’s presentations. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to sunny Albuquerque, NM, for this long-expected Mythcon, where our food and our weather are HOT! Attendees will want to prepare for warm weather, and err on the side of cool and comfortable clothes and shoes rather than professional. Sunblock and hydration will be important, as temperatures can range in the 90s during the day, but cool down to 60s overnight (Fahrenheit). And even though it’s a dry heat, an umbrella for the .1 mile walks wouldn’t be a bad idea. Also related to safety, our COVID safety policy remains in effect with minor revisions, so please read through that and start to plan accordingly.
Continued thanks goes out to our planning committee:
- Cami Agan
- Dawn Catanach
- Lynne Darga
- Tim Lenz
- Rachel Briggs
- Sarah Collins
- Alicia Fox-Lenz
- Pat Yarrow
Until such time as we ask the perennial question “what do you do with a drunken hobbit?” we the Mythcon 52 Committee remain “at your service!”
Theme: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien
Mythcon 52’s theme provides multiple opportunities to explore the Other in fantasy and mythopoeic literature. Tolkien spoke in “On Fairy-stories” of “the desire to visit, free as a fish, the deep sea; or the longing for the noiseless, gracious, economical flight of a bird.” We invite discussion about the types of fantasy that are more likely to put us into contact with the alien, such as time portal fantasy and space travel fantasy. In addition to Inklings, some writers dealing particularly well with the truly alien who might be discussed include Lovecraft, Gaiman, Le Guin, Tepper, and others. Other topics that might be fruitfully explored are: depictions of the alien Other in film and television (Dune, Loki, etc.); developing constructed languages truly different from those of Earth-based humans; fantastical Others in indigenous myths (such as Coyote and Spider Woman from Native American mythology); and American folklore about the alien (flying saucers, alien abduction, Area 51, Roswell).Conference Registration
Registration rates through May 30, 2022, are as follows. On June 1, rates in all categories will increase. Payments for Mythcon 52 (in-person and virtual) and banquet tickets may be made through PayPal from the Mythcon 52 registration page.In-Person Conference Registration
Mythopoeic Society Members - $75 until May 31; $90 June 1 and after
Nonmembers - $90 until May 31; $115 June 1 and after
Students* - $65 until May 31; $70 June 1 and after
* Students are those taking 12 or more credit hours per semester/quarter at an accredited college or university.
Must present a current, active student ID at check-in. For children attending with parent(s) or legal guardian(s),
12 and under are free, 12 to 18 pay the student rate.
Virtual only - $20 until May 31; $25 June 1 and after1-Day pass - $45 (available only onsite)
2-Day pass - $75 (available only onsite)
Please note: You can join the Mythopoeic Society and then register for Mythcon 52 at the Society Members rate to save money and receive other member advantages. See the Mythopoeic Society’s website for details. If you are uncertain of your membership status, please contact our Membership Secretary, Lynne Darga, at membership@mythsoc.org.
Virtual Registration Option
Those who cannot or do not wish to attend Mythcon in person are invited to participate remotely through our virtual option. Our virtual option (via Zoom and Discord, similar to Online Midwinter Seminar 1 and Mythcon 51) will include livestreaming Guests of Honor speeches from David Bratman and Rivera Sun and one track of paper and panel presentations on Saturday and Sunday.
Guests of Honor
You can read about (and see photos of) our guests of honor:- Rivera Sun - Author Guest of Honor
- David Bratman - Scholar Guest of Honor
Papers/Panels
Our deadline for papers and panels has passed and our schedule is shaping up nicely. It will feature presentations on Inklings Tolkien, Lewis, and Williams, as well as papers that explore the works of Gloria Anzaldúa, Phillip K. Dick, N.K. Jemisin, Madeleine L’Engle, Ursula K. Le Guin, H.P. Lovecraft, Seanan McGuire, and others! Some of the multimedia topics being explored include Arthuriana, Cleopatra in Space, The Grateful Dead, Hollow Knight, and Roswell, New Mexico.Special Programming
Special programming includes running some Dungeons & Dragons games, a Sir Gawain and the Green Knight reading, a viewing and discussion of Disney’s Encanto, and Q&As with Mythopoeic Society members about the history of the society. We will hold the Masquerade costume “contest,” Golfimbul, Bardic Circle, and Auction as usual.Alexei Kondratiev Award (Student Paper)
At Mythcon 41, the Society introduced an award for the best paper presented at Mythcon by an undergraduate or graduate student. This award was named in honor of Alexei Kondratiev, long-time Society member and a scholar of wide-ranging interests in mythopoeic and related studies, who passed away in 2010. The winner of the award receives a certificate, a one-year subscription to Mythlore, and half-off registration for the next Mythcon he or she attends. The winner will be announced at the Mythcon banquet, on the Society’s website and in Mythprint. Winners are strongly encouraged to submit their paper to Mythlore for publication. More information, a list of past winners, and the award application can be found on our website.To be considered for the award, the application form must be submitted to the committee chair, Janet Croft, at mythlore@mythsoc.org no later than July 1, 2022, and the finished paper must be submitted electronically by July 22, 2022. The paper must follow Mythlore submission and style guidelines and should be 4000-9000 words long. Applicants must be accepted in or currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at the time their abstract is submitted. Applicants must attend Mythcon and present the paper to qualify for the award.
Hotel
The Mythcon 52 planning committee is delighted to welcome you back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and back to conferencing in person! During the pandemic, many businesses and business models have changed, so we were forced to change venues at a late date—thus many of the delays! However, you can rest assured that Mythcon 52 is happening, the dates are set, and we have sleeping and conference locations confirmed.Mythcon 52 sleeping arrangements will be at the Hampton Inn University/Midtown. The room options of two queens or one king can currently be reserved for a special rate of $88 per night (plus tax currently at 13.25%). Connecting rooms are also available if booked together, and accessible rooms may be requested. Amenities include free hot breakfast, free parking, free wifi, outdoor pool, and fitness center. Located in Albuquerque’s midtown, it allows easy access to the I-40 freeway and is a 14-minute drive, taxi, or rideshare from the airport.
Since the Hampton’s online reservation link has proven somewhat unpredictable, we recommend phoning the hotel directly at 505-837-9300 to get the correct rates and dates. If you prefer to try the online link, visit this link. (You may need to click on the Special Rate button, insert CHHMYT into the Group Code box, and then click Update.) If you have problems making reservations, please email Leslie Donovan at chair@mythcon.org.
Conference attendees are encouraged to room with family or close friends and to plan room sharing according to vaccination status and comfort level. Because the planning committee cannot commit to pairing up people according to their safety preferences, first-time attendees or those who want to share rooms are encouraged to reach out on Discord, Facebook, and our Mailing list on Groups.io to solicit roommates. For those who want to pack a room tight, rollaway beds can also be reserved.
Attendees will want to reserve rooms for the night of Friday, July 29 (half-day programming), Saturday, July 30, and Sunday, July 31, with half-day programming on Monday, August 1. As rooms are available, the Hampton Inn will honor the reduced room rate for anyone who arrives earlier or stays later.
Meals
The Hampton Inn includes free hot breakfast with their reservations. Although conference-organized communal meal options are still in the works, Mythcon 52 has not planned any communal meals at this point, apart from the Sunday banquet. Our reasons for this are to reduce cost to attendees, allow you full control of dietary needs, and encourage individual choice of comfort levels with COVID transmission risks. While we hope to offer some flavor of our usual gatherings, any such offerings we may add will certainly look different this year! Stay tuned for more information.Banquet tickets are now available on our website at $40 each. Our banquet will be held at the Daily Grind, a local favorite only .4 miles away (we will provide free transportation for any who wish it). The Daily Grind features a tasty and varied menu, lots of outdoor seating, and beer/wine offerings.
The Hampton Inn is conveniently located near many fantastic local food options for lunches and dinners. Across the street (not even .1 miles) is Green Jeans Farmery, a local outdoor eatery, where Mythies are invited to take meals. In addition to having ample outdoor seating for safer, maskless interactions, Green Jeans has many food options with counter service, including Burgers, Barbecue, Pizza, Pho, Smoothies, Coffee, Ice Cream, Tacos, and Craft Beer (and local wine)!
A little further afield, determined walkers or those with cars can access even more options. In addition to the Daily Grind where we will hold our Sunday night banquet, local chains Rudy’s Barbecue and Blake’s Lotaburger are only .3 miles away (if across a busy street). A strip mall with Einstein Bagels, Chello Grill (Middle Eastern), Thai Vegan, and Juani’s Kitchen (Mexican) is .8 miles away. Ample time will be built into the schedule to allow for lunch travel.
Whole Foods (.3 miles) and Walmart Neighborhood Market (.7 miles) are also nearby to stock hotel rooms. For other material needs, a Walmart Supercenter is .6 miles away.
Conference Venue
The Hampton Inn, unlike more expensive hotel options, does not have meeting space that fits our needs. So we have reserved 21st Century Public Academy, a local charter school, for our conference panels and presentations. The school, whose mascot is a purple dragon, is a great fit for us, evoking past Mythcons held in university classrooms, but with the added perk of not sleeping in university dorm rooms!The school is .25 miles or a 5-minute walk from the hotel on a road with very little traffic. It’s a flat, easy walk for the able-bodied, even in the summer (it’s a dry heat!). We are working on arranging free transportation between the hotel and the school for attendees who need or want assistance. Still, attendees are encouraged to consider their footwear and remember any needed assistive devices such as canes or braces when packing.
COVID Safety Policy
Our Organizing Committee has worked hard to ensure the safest possible environment for our presenters and attendees during this time when COVID variants are still a concern. Only in the event of an unavoidable circumstance (such as a state government ban of all gatherings over a certain number) would we consider canceling Mythcon 52. So, rest assured we are going forward. However, participating in any kind of gathering poses some risk of infection. Developed from input in a survey sent to members and approved by the Council of Stewards, our COVID Policy for Mythcon 52 participants that requires:- — Proof of Vaccination or Negative COVID Tests;
- — Masks that fully cover the mouth and nose worn indoors during all presentations and panels, unless actively eating or drinking. Speakers who are actively presenting may remove their masks.