2019 Society for Utopian Studies Conference, East Lansing, USA

Theme: “Subaltern, Suburban, and Subterranean.”

Michigan is a borderland surrounded by the Great Lakes. Shaped by Detroit and influenced by Chicago and Canada, the state’s subaltern, suburban, and subterranean landscapes are permeated by bountiful wetlands throughout. The history and location of Michigan and its cities Detroit and Flint provide a wide variety of possible approaches and topics related to utopian and dystopian thought. Michigan State University (MSU) is home to the American Radicalism Collection and the largest and most comprehensive Comic Art Collection in the world. The conference will take place at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center on the MSU campus.

We encourage scholars and practitioners from any academic field to contribute, as well as architects, city planners, artists, and musicians whose work relates to utopian thought and possibility, and dystopian realities and visions. Members of intentional communities are also welcome to attend and/or present.