A Celebration of Star Wars: Episode XI: The Conference Strikes Back
May 04, 2024
2024 Keynote Speakers
Claudia Gray
Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent. She is the writer of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline. Her debut adult historical mystery, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, released in May 2022. She makes her home in New Orleans with her husband Paul and assorted small dogs.
Dr. Carmelo Esterrich
Carmelo Esterrich is a Professor of humanities at Columbia College Chicago, where he teaches in Latin American Studies and Cultural Studies, focusing on film, literature and music. His book Concrete and Countryside: The Urban and the Rural in 1950s Puerto Rican Culture (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2018) deals with the response of the arts to the rapid modernization and urbanization of the island. His latest book, Star Wars Multiverse (Rutgers, 2021), is a multidisciplinary study of the franchise as only ‘fictionally’ far far away. He is currently working on a volume in the 33 1/3 music book series (Bloomsbury Press) about the Mexican rock band Café Tacuba and their 1994 album Re. He is the co-host of Nick and Melo’s Hyperspace, a Star Wars podcast.
Bringing Fans and Scholars Together
Signing Times:
Carmelo Esterrich: 12-1pm
Claudia Gray: 2-3pm
Eric Clayton: 3:15-5pm
Special Events (more to come)
Charity Auction: 9am-5pm (benefits SPCA Louisiana)
Photo with a Stormtrooper: 11am-2pm
8:30am
Conference registration opens. 8th Floor Lobby.
Silent Auction to benefit SPCA Louisiana. 803.
9:00-10:00am
1A. In a Galaxy Far, Far Away.... 805. (Hybrid Panel)
*Emily Strand — “Man(dalorians) and the Machine” (F2F)
Elise Cedeno —“Part of a Legacy; Master and Apprentice Relationships in Ahsoka and Trauma Responsive Education” (Zoom)
Mariana Schwartz — “Symmetry and Emotional Impact: An Analysis of Andor's Set Designs Zoom” (Zoom)
Phil Mathews — “‘You Will Know!’: Telling the Good Side from the Bad – Are Star Wars Badges Undermining the Galaxy?” (Zoom)
1B. It's a Trap: Ancillary Content in Star Wars. 806.(Hybrid Panel)
*Jonathon Lundy — “The Enduring Force of Star Wars Toys” (F2F)
Joshua Katz — “Building Galaxies: The Everlasting Impact of 25 Years of LEGO® Star Wars™ Collaboration” (F2F)
John Caro — “Moore Star Wars: Marvel UK and Early Days of the Expanded Universe” (Zoom)
Steve Clairmont — “The Crash of the Halcyon: Examining the Galactic Starcruiser’s Flight Recorder” (F2F)
Dwaipayan Roy — “Darth Vader in Marvel Comics Beyond Star Wars” (Zoom)
1C. There’s a Balance: Star Wars Narratives. 804. (Face-to-Face Panel)
*Jim Iaccino — “Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s Evolution: From Farm Boy to Jedi Master to Force Spirit” (F2F)
Walter Podrazik — “The Force of the First: How Introductory Impressions Shape our Journey into the Star Wars Ecosystem” (F2F)
Lisa Rothman — “Holiday Celebrations In A Galaxy Far, Far Away …” (F2F)
10:15-11:15am
2A. Academic Keynote. 805. (Hybrid Panel)
Dr. Carmelo Esterrich, Columbia College-Chicago. Title TBA. (F2F)
2B. Pop Culture Writing Workshop. 804. F2F
Kathleen Turner. Bring your favorite writing tools and join us for a Star Wars fan fiction writing workshop! We will provide some prompts and starting places, as well as tips, including ones from writer Carrie Fisher. You will spend time writing and may share what you start.
11:30am-12:30pm
3A. Nerf Herders: Star Wars Fandom and Humor. 805. (Hybrid Panel)
*CarrieLynn Reinhard — May the Dialogue Be With You: Practical Guidelines for Handling Fan Debates” (F2F)
Allison Broesder — “The Foundational Exploration of Star Wars” (F2F)
Hannah Mendro — Jedi, Academia, and the Fall of a Republic: Star Wars Fanfiction as a Political Project” (F2F)
Abby Kirby — “‘None of This is Canon, so Just Relax’: Parody, Crossover, and Intertextuality in Phineas and Ferb Star Wars” (F2F)
William Staton — “‘I Just Don’t Understand Human Behavior’: Analyzing the Role of Relief Theory in Droid Humor” (F2F)
3B. Continuity, Disconnection and Transformations: The Transmedial, Paratextual, and Aural after lives of the Original Trilogy. 806. (Hybrid Panel)
Christine Gengaro — “The More Themes Change, the More They Stay the Same: Thematic Transformation in the Musical Scores of Star Wars” (Zoom)
* Sorcha Ní Fhlainn – “‘Is That My Luke Skywalker?”: The Paratextuality of Luke Skywalker” (Zoom)
Tiffany Knoell — “Star Wars’ Theater of the Mind: The NPR Star Wars Audio Dramas”
TBA panel moderator (F2F)
3C. Fans Researching Star Wars 804. (Face-to-Face Panel)
Join curators, librarians, and fan specialists for a fascinating discussion of Star Wars fandom! Our guests on this panel will discuss all the great Star Wars material they have in their collections and the stories they’ve learned along the way.
Peter Balestrieri, Curator, Science Fiction and Popular Culture Collections, Special Collections & Archives, University of Iowa Libraries
Jorie Goldsmith, Conventions and Live Events Specialist, Organization for Transformative Works
1:00-2:00pm
4A. Professional Keynote. 805. (Hybrid panel)
Claudia Gray, author of Star Wars: Bloodline, Leia, Lost Stars, Master and Apprentice, and more! (F2F)
4B. DePaul Communication – Media and Popular Culture. 804. F2F
Chris Hunsicker
2:15-3:15pm
5A. The Cultural Center of the Universe: The Cultural Studies of Star Wars. 805. (Hybrid Panel)
*Carey Millsap-Spears — “We’ll see:” StormPilot and Reylo Fans, Queerness, and the Abrams Star Wars Trilogy” (F2F)
Michael LaRocco — “X-wings and Utopia: Simulated Space Flight and the Feel of Star Wars” (F2F)
Kristin Noone — “ Ghost Ships, Crypts, and Gothic Romance in Barbara Hambly’s "Children of the Jedi” (Zoom)
Lando Tosaya — “The Star Wars Universe: Envisioning a Speculative Societal Model Through the Afrofuturistic Lens” (Zoom)
Marie Martino — “Finding Ourselves: Queer Coding Ahsoka Tano” (F2F)
5B. The Force is Strong: Religion and Ethics in Star Wars. 806. (Hybrid Panel)
Eric Clayton — “The Rule of Two: Insights from the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises” (F2F)
Jason Eberl — “Star Wars as Philosophy: A Genealogy of the Force (F2F)
Mark Parsons — “Magus Witch Jedi Sith: Mapping Occult Practices and Phenomena to the Star Wars Universe “ (zoom)
Ryan Poll — “Life Day: Religion in a Galaxy Far, Far Away” (F2F)
5C. Writing Star Wars: First Drafts and Beyond. 804. (Face-to-Face Panel)
Join four authors to discuss the first draft of the Star Wars screenplay, and how to turn first drafts into final drafts!
*Rebecca Johns, DePaul University Writing Professor
Jay Bonansinga, DePaul University Writing Professor
Juan Martinez
Eden Roberts
3:30-4:30pm
6A. Galactic Basic: Language in Star Wars. 805. (Hybrid Panel)
Matthew Barton (F2F), Sharon Cogdill (Zoom), Michael Dando (F2F), Kyoko Kishimoto (Zoom), and Craig Meyer (Zoom), Saint Cloud State University — “‘You can only get so far without a tribe’: Tusken Sign Language, Power, and Decolonized Personhood"
6B. The Empire: Politics I. 806. (Hybrid Panel)
* Allan Liska — “No Disintegrations: The Use of Private Threat Actors by The Empire and Other Nation States” (F2F)
Mohammed Shakibnia — “Navigating Life for Young People: From Star Wars to the United States” (F2F)
Thomas Harper — “The Geneva Conventions in a Galaxy Far, Far Away” (F2F)
George Gonzalez — “The Clone Wars as Anti-Enlightenment Text” (F2F)
6C. How to get published: Top Tips and Q&A. 804. (Face-to-Face Panel)
James Campbell, Intellect Books (F2F)
4:45-5:45pm
7A. The Mythic Star Wars. 805. (Hybrid Panel)
*Owen Smith — “‘A Thousand Generations Live in You Now. But This Is Your Fight’: Mythic Themes in the Heroine’s Journey of the Final Skywalker” (F2F)
Nadia Salem — “The Monomyth of Inclusion: the Hero and Heroine's Journey” (Zoom)
Dan Zehr — “The Power of Myth and Storytelling in Star Wars” (Zoom)
7B. The Rebellion: Star Wars Politics II. 806. (Hybrid Panel)
*Reuben Martens — “The Proletariat Awakens: A Marxist Analysis of 'Andor' and the Proletarian Struggle against Imperial Oppression” (F2F)
Burak Polat — “Memetic Diffusion of Star Wars Universe in Turkish Political Sphere” (Zoom)
George Gonzalez — “The Clone Wars as Anti-Enlightenment Text” (F2F)
7C. Star Wars Fan Vid & AMV Show. 804. (Face-to-Face Panel)
*Samantha Close, DePaul University (F2F)
Anne Collins Smith, Stephen F. Austin State University (F2F)
Cancelled
6B. The Empire: Politics I. 806. (Hybrid Panel)
Mohammed Shakibnia — “Navigating Life for Young People: From Star Wars to the United States” (F2F)
Add George Gonzalez — “The Clone Wars as Anti-Enlightenment Text” (F2F)
7B. The Rebellion: Star Wars Politics II. 806. (Hybrid Panel)
Entire panel cancelled
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