YSLS 2026 Mystery and Mayhem
Saturday, Feb. 21
Mysteries and Mayhem is our fourth conference theme. Why do we continue to crave mystery stories? What do they tell us about our need for suspense and our desire to solve riddles, including the most famous of all:Whodunnit? What do these stories of murder and mayhem teach us about the nature of evil, ideas of sin, and the essence of a villain? What do we hope to see in the survivors of these threats? –And what do we expect from the detectives and heroes who reveal the truth in these stories? We seek papers and creative projects that explore these and related questions.
Suggested topics for investigation and creative inspiration include –but are not limited to:
- Murder and detective story texts and textuality
- Ideas of crime, sin, and social mores
- Investigations and creative inspirations for crime and mystery stories
- The politics and economies of mystery stories
- Science, rationality, and the solving of the crimes
- Community and alienation
- Questions of identity (race, gender, ethnicity, orientation, religion, etc.)
- Health, trauma, and survival in mysteries
- The role of the supernatural in mystery stories
- The makings of a great detective
- Laughter and comic relief in murder and mystery stories
- Considerations of genre (fiction, poetry, film, etc.) and adaptations
- Storytelling elements (setting, tone, plot, etc.) and/or genre conventions
Submit a Proposal
Sessions will be organized in 1-hour blocks with 45 to 50 minutes of presentations and 10 to 15 minutes for discussion. We seek proposals for individual 10- to 15-minute presentations or preset panels of 3 to 4 presenters.
In addition to standard research paper presentations, special panels or creative approaches (such as dance, dramatic, digital or fine arts, original works, or “fan fiction,” etc.) are also welcome. Please contact the conference email (ysls@su.edu) for more information. Each conference participant may submit only one abstract for academic presentation and only one for creative work. (so, a maximum of 2 abstracts).
To submit a presentation or panel idea, please submit an abstract of approximately 150-250 words along with the name and university email address of the sponsoring faculty member to the YSLS Undergraduate Submission Form. The deadline for submitting abstracts and proposals is December 15, 2025.
All accepted presenters and panelists must register in advance. Registration will include attendance at all main breakout sessions, workshops, and breaks, as well as opportunities to attend an evening film screening or live performance.