Aíne Norris (Old Dominion University)
Mariaelena DiBenigno (College of William and Mary)
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