CRITICAL MYSTERY STUDIES
An Interdisciplinary Symposium
In-Person + Online
The University of New Mexico
November 16-17, 2026
Call for Papers
Co-Organizers: Matthew David Goodwin, Sarah Hernandez, Nahir Otaño-Gracia
We are seeking proposals for our 2nd Critical Mystery Studies Symposium that will be held in-person and online on November 16-17, 2026. This symposium aims to foster new interdisciplinary dialogues that critically and creatively illuminate the mysteries that surround us. To this end we invite proposals for papers, panels, roundtables, workshops, artist talks, or creative projects, which engage the cultural depth of the mysteries. Proposals can explore specific mysteries (La Llorona, Roswell, there are so many!) or investigate the artistic genres that depict or reappropriate the mysteries such as science fiction, fantasy, surrealism, gothic, horror, etc. In particular, we are interested in submissions that highlight critical theories being used in the field as well as inter-ethnic collaborations.
Critical Mystery Studies (CMS) is the critical and interdisciplinary study of mysteries such as monster sightings, ghost hauntings, and alien encounters, among many more. We examine the role of mystery in the long traditions, histories of resistance, and cultural expressions of BIPOC communities, and at the same time, we explore how mysteries are entangled with racism, sexism, coloniality, and other systems of oppression. Studies within CMS explore the nature and meaning of mysteries, the discourses surrounding them in their specific geographical and cultural contexts, their representation in fiction and film, and how mysteries have been reclaimed, reinterpreted, and reappropriated by cultural creators.
Send in your proposals of 250 words along with a short bio of 200 words to the organizers by September 15, 2026 to criticalmysterystudies@gmail.com. Authors will be notified of the status of their submission by September 22, 2026. For more information or questions please do not hesitate to contact the organizers. Check out our website from the 1st symposium: https://criticalmysterystudies.com
Hosted by the Chicana/o Studies Department at the University of New Mexico