Greetings from the first (and sporadic) newsletter of the Grateful Dead Sessions at the 2002 SW/Texas PCA Conference! If you do not wish to receive future (infrequently emailed) editions, please reply to this message with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject, and you'll be removed from the list. The purpose of this newsletter is to briefly reminisce about the last three years of the Grateful Dead Sessions at the SW/Texas Popular Culture Association conference. But more important it's to generate some enthusiasm for the conference to be held next year, again in Albuquerque. Next year's conference will be at the Albuquerque Hilton February 13-17, 2002. I've had the good fortune to attend the conference the past three years thanks to Rob Weiner's influence and enthusiasm. I'll be attending again in 2002 and along with Rob, I'll be co-chairing the Grateful Dead Sessions. At the 1999 conference, we had nearly 30 presentations in 9 sessions. At the 2000 conference we had 19 presentations in 5 sessions. Last year we had 23 presentations in 9 sessions as well as two panel discussions. The panels examined issues related to the historical legacy of the Grateful Dead and also sustaining the Deadhead community with digital technology. The panelists included Steve Silberman, Mary Eisenhart, David Lemieux, Barry Smolin, Gary Burnett, Rebecca Adams, Nick Meriwether. Over the years presentation topics have ranged from an analysis of Dead lyrics, to a biography of GD lyricist Bobby Petersen, considerations of the Dead's concerts as a spiritual celebration, the GD-Teletubby connection, an examination of the business side of the Dead organization, Jung and the Dead, personal reminisences of concerts, a comparison of Dead concerts and the Burning Man festival, and efforts to statistically predict Dead songs in concert. We've had presenters from across the US, from Canada, and from the UK. Last year's gathering was a remarkable event. There was a tangible sense of community not felt since the last Dead show in 1995. Nearly everyone was involved in most of the sessions and also sharing meals and socializing every evening. It was like a 3-day concert run with good friends all sharing a hotel. So what about 2002...will you be part of it February 13-17 in Albuquerque? You can be a part of it by presenting a paper, joining a panel discussion, or simply by registering for the conference. You can get more information about the conference, the hotel, and airline discounts by checking the SW/Texas PCA website at www.swtexaspca.org <http://www.swtexaspca.org> Time is running out, however. The conference is only 2 months away. No theme has been chosen, no panels have been selected, no topics have been chosen for discussion, no special guests have been invited. So, your suggestions and comments are requested! Please share this with interested friends, please get involved, and please register. Barry Barnes
