Aíne Norris (Old Dominion University)
Mariaelena DiBenigno (Independent Scholar)
From Sabrina to Supreme, there are plentiful modern representations of the witch in popular culture, each exuding singular or group-sourced power borne from traditions of centuries-past, as manifested in literature, television, film, or local lore. But what about the lesser-known witches, those who practice and represent branches of witchcraft rarely examined within the subcultural analysis or fandom? This panel examines portrayals of lesser-known witches and how their quiet unconventionality, even within the broader occult subculture, might inform scholarship, practice, and preservation. What can we learn by examining lesser-known witches or unconventional representations of the witch?
Approaches or lenses for papers may include (but are not limited to):
- Literature, texts, or theory
- Cultural studies
- Gender studies
- Technology or media studies
- Race and ethnicity studies
- Environmental studies
- Pop culture studies
- Local or regional examinations
- Museum studies and public history
- Historic preservation or conservation