Fox in Socks: Anthropormorphism in Literature and Culture 

Welcome: Elizabeth Durand 

9: 30 AM-10: 15 AM:   “maybe EVERYONE has to feel guilty:” Representations of Race & Trauma in Media 

Duncan Faherty, Moderator 

Josephine Du, “Cultural Erasure Through Censorship: Maus” 

Veronica Kordmany, “Trauma and Post-Memory: Reading Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” 

Kaitlynn Lee, “WDAS’s Broken Promises” 

10:15 AM-11:00 AM:  The ABCs of Children’s Media: Culture, Psychology, and Cognition 

 Ryan Black, Moderator 

Kristen Bamberger,  “The Peppa Pig Phenomenon” 

Jonathan Jacques, “An Anthropomorphic View: Adventure Time and Children’s Emotions” 

Nika Nunez, “Affective Neuroscience and Anthropomorphism” 

15 minute Break 

11:15 AM-12: 00 PM:   Anthropomorphic Agency in Children’s Literature and Culture 

Ala Alyrres, Moderator   

Jessica Alexander, “What makes a Monster? Utilizing the Minotaur to explore Monstrosity in Children’s Picturebooks” 

Dylan James, “Extratextuality” in Winnie-the-Pooh: How the Animals Transcend Narration 

Nev Yakubov, “With a Chitter and a Chirp: Animal Sidekicks as Promoters of Gender Ideology in Disney’s Princess Movies” 

Lunch 

Afternoon Session: Welcome by Elizabeth Durand 

1:00 PM-1:45 PM:   Faces of Faith: The Incomprehensibility of God: A Roundtable 

Justin Oh, Nathan Perez, Victor Wong 

Steven Kruger, Moderator 

Whether it be through faces spilling from the clouds at a distance, giant whales who swim through the sea, or toys who worship humans and machines: all our texts question our understanding of the divine. In our roundtable discussions we will be focusing on the incomprehensible nature of the divine and our relationship to this phenomenon.  

1: 45 PM- 2:30 PM:  Almost Human: Fear and Uncanniness in Science Fiction

Fred Gardaphe, Moderator 

Pawan Mirchandani, “Fear and Loathing in Science Fiction: A Century of Communism, Counterculture, and Computers in the United States.” 

Huzagary Usman, “All Around Me Are Familiar Faces: The Role of Anthropomorphism in Creating the Uncanny Valley.” 

Alex Huynh, “Our Cyborg Present and our Uncanny Posthuman Future.” 

15-minute Break 

2:45 PM- 3:30 PM:  Building It up and Breaking It Down: An Anthropomorphic Critique of Humanity 

Annmarie Drury, Moderator  
Vincent Valentini, “The Puppet Valley: Anthropomorphism as Critique” 

Ummul Abida, “HumAnimal Coexistence” 

Emma Richter: “Speaking It Into Existence: The Honeycomb and the Art of a Conversation”