Come To SWPACA 2025!

I want to invite anyone in Albuquerque, NM, on Saturday, February 22nd, a week from now, to come listen to academic papers presented at a session regarding "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul." There is no charge to attend. 

The occasion is the annual meeting of the Southwest Popular/American Cultural Association (SWPACA), from February 19-22. The place is a cornucopia of pop culture, with long-running sessions on James Bond, Alfred Hitchcock, the Grateful Dead, and just about anything anyone can imagine. Last year, I greatly-enjoyed the newly-minted Taylor Swift session. 

The meeting will be held at the Uptown Marriott Hotel, 2101 Louisiana Blvd. NE, just north of Interstate-40, where Americas Parkway meets Louisiana Blvd. 

The session will be moderated by Nick Gerlich, from 9:45 - 11:15 a.m. 

Four papers will be presented: 

• The Meaning of Morality in “Better Call Saul,” by Hannah Davenport, University of North Carolina Wilmington. 
• “I’m Awake”: “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” and Walter White, by Melissa Etzler, Butler University.
• Alienation and Performativity in “Breaking Bad,” by Lisa Weckerle, Kutztown University. 
• The Hopi Inspiration in “Better Call Saul,” by Marc Valdez, Independent Scholar.