Acacia Conference 2016
Philip K. Dick: Here and Now
UC Irvine—Thursday Philip K. Dick Symposium
(This event will take place on the UC Irvine campus, and is being organized entirely by UCI faculty)
FRIDAY, APRIL 29 (Rooms in Titan Student Union unless stated otherwise)
8am
Registration opens Gabrielino
9-10:15
Titan Student Union event Gabrielino
Curios and Artifacts–come talk about…
Philip K. Dick’s original record collection, with musicologist Sean Nye
Academic Tracks in Titan Student Union:
40 Years of Philip K. Dick Hetebrink
Chair: Frank Alanis
Buried Treasure Found Within Special Collection Holdings:
“Self Portrait by Philip K. Dick” A Personal Memoir Leads to New Perspective
Susan Geers, Cal State Fullerton
A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man, Or, Philip K. Dick Considered as a Galactic Pot Healer
Gary Westfahl, University of La Verne
Creative Works Inspired by Philip K. Dick Stearns
Chair: Monica Mercado
Electric Dreaming
Emily Robles, Cal State Fullerton
M&E
Zack Newman, Cal State Fullerton
Student Symposium Gilman
Dick’s Legacy and the State of Hollywood’s Kiddie-Apocalypse, Devon Jones
Philip K. Dick vs. L. Ron Hubbard: Dinner Conversation In the Glow of AfterLife, Stephen Savage
Are Robots More Human than Humans? Thomas Nichols
Of Androids and Men: Derrida to Philip K. Dick, Dylan Ripley
10:30-11:45
Academic Tracks in the Titan Student Union:
Android in the Shell Bradford
Chair: Adriana Lora
Masks and Mimicry: Dick’s Android/Insect Paradox
Catherine S. Cassel, University of Michigan
Temporality and Philip K. Dick Hetebrink
Chair: Alyssa Perez
Reading for the Complot, or How Philip K. Dick Taught Ricardo Piglia to Read the Future
David Kelman, Cal State Fullerton
Quantum Theology and the Meaning of Orthogonal Time in The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick
William Sarill, Independent Scholar
Divergence and Disjunction Stearns
Chair: Nikki Knapp
A Ubik-itous Immanence: Summoning the Baroque Messiah of PHILIP K. DICK’s Ubik
Sean Matharoo, University of California, Riverside
Together We Are Dreaming, Alone We Are Insane: Mental Illness as Consequence in Martian Time Slip
Jason Nathaniel Miller, Independent Scholar
Student Symposium Gilman
Science Fiction in the Realm of Science Fiction, Chelsea Sundberg
An Alternative (Reality) to Drug Use, Carlos Roque
Tears in the Rain, Anthony Tasselli
In a Decaying World and dealing with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Leah Vasquez
Library Panel Pollak Library North 130
Philip K. Dick at CSUF, Discussion and Q and A
James Blaylock, Tim Powers
Moderators: Nicole Vandever, Paige Patterson, and Jasmine Romero
12-1:15
TSU Event TSU Theater
On Steampunk, movie premiere, a film interview with Tim Powers
Moderator: Susan Geers
1:30-2:45
Academic Tracks in Titan Student Union:
Religion and Philip K. Dick
Chair: Forrest Montgomery
A Scanner Divine: Gnostic (D)rugs, Lies, and Metatextuality within Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly
Samuel Ortiz, Cal State Fullerton
Race, Class and Philip K. Dick Hetebrink
Chair: Jorey Cantu
Race and the Segregated Nation in The Crack in Space and The Ganymede Takeover
Jeff Hicks, California State University, Los Angeles
Puttering About in a Petit-Bourgeois Land: Crises of Class in Dick’s Novels
Rob Latham, Independent Scholar
Shakespeare & Philip K. Dick Stearns
Chair: Allison Schmitendorf
The Hamlet-esque nature of A Scanner Darkly
Scott Price, Cal State Fullerton
Victorian Philip K. Dick Tuffree
Chair: Nicole Vandever
Discussing the Language in Frankenstein and Bladerunner and the Philosophical Implications Eliza Ebro, Cal State Fullerton
Speech as a Tool for Agency in Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”
Nicole Montoy, Cal State Fullerton
Student Symposium Gilman
Historicity and the Fragile Mind, Elizabeth Garcia
Alternate History Then and Now: A Comparison of Philip K. Dick’s Man in the High
Castle and Harry Turtledove’s Southern Victory series, Michael Harden
The Minority Report: Philip K. Dick’s Treatment of Racial Identity, Janel Garcia
Steel or Flesh: The Question of Humanity, Vincent Riveria
Library Panel Pollak Library North 130
Philip K. Dick from Marin County to Orange County, Discussion
Grania Davis, Tessa Dick, William Sarill
Moderator: Ted Hand
3-5
Keynote Talk Pollak Library North 130
Jonathan Lethem, The Philip K. Dick Society: A Preliminary Archeology
Art Show and Science Fiction Special Collections Display Atrium Gallery, Library
Atrium Gallery, Pollak Library
5-6 Show Open for viewing
6-7:30 Reception with artists
SATURDAY, APRIL 30
8am
Registration open Gabrielino
The Art Show will be open Saturday 9-5 Atrium Gallery, Library
9-10:15
Academic Tracks in Titan Student Union:
Philip K. Dick and Governmental Influence Bradford
Chair: Adrian Agacer
The Cruel Optimism of Capitalism: Philip K. Dick’s “Realist” Fiction
Alexander Vogel, Independent Scholar
OC and Corporate Fascism in A Scanner Darkly and A Man in the High Castle
John H. Tice II, Cal State Fullerton
Pathos & Philip K. Dick Hetebrink
Chair: Amanda Wetrick
“Maybe Some Footnote”: Reality, Sympathy, and Drug Users in A Scanner Darkly
Nicole Vandever, Cal State Fullerton
Fictional Human: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
James Kendrick, University of Victoria, British Columbia
Promotion and Philip K. Dick Stearns
Chair: Jon Snyder
Dick: Self-Promoter
David Gill, San Francisco State University
Student Symposium Gilman
Paranoia and Drug Use in A Scanner Darkly and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Hannah Bell
Mechanical Humanity, John Deloss
Philip K. Dick, Style and SF, Christopher Russell
Titan Student Union Event TSU Theater
Dick’s SoCal Dream: Jonathan Lethem In Conversation With Samuel Sousa
10:30-11:45
Academic Tracks in Titan Student Union:
Adaptation Bradford
Chair: Cassandra Kilzer
On the Hunt for Authenticity: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and its Visual Adaptation
Frank Alanis, Cal State Fullerton
Psychology/Psychiatry Hetebrink
Chair: Christine Garavito
Philip K. Dick and Psychiatry
Orin L. Bigman, Independent Scholar
Voices, Consciousness, and the Bicameral Mind: Philip K. Dick’s Use of Julian Jaynes Psychology
Richard Feist, Saint Paul University, Ottawa
Speculative Reality Stearns
Chair: Javier Ulloa
Reading Philip K. Dick’s Mainstream Novels as SF
Doug Mackey, Independent Scholar
Choose Your Truth: The Revelation at the End of The Man in the High Castle
Giordano Goffi, University of Macerata, Italy
Student Symposium Gilman
Synthetic People, Life as an Android, Alexander Real
Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle: “The Very Idea of Place,” Kayley Quick
Justifiable Paranoia in The Minority Report and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, MaryAnn Shnell
Feeling Human, Is It Enough?, Benjamin Begay
Library Panel Pollak Library North 130
Philip K. Dick, Here and Now
Howard Hendrix, Gregg Rickman, Jacob Weisman
12-1:15
TSU Event TSU Theater
Philip K. Dick Goes to the Movies, Discussion and Q and A
Daniel Gilbertson, Gary Westfahl, Paul Sammon
1:30-2:45
Academic Tracks in Titan Student Union:
Past Lives Bradford
Chair: Samuel Ortiz
The Crypto-Jewish Identities of the Philip K. Dick,
Aharon Varady, The Jewish Free Culture Society
Music and Philip K. Dick Hetebrink
Chair: Trevor Allred
Sonic Fiction: Music, Sound, and High Fidelity in the Writings of Philip K. Dick
Sean Nye, University of Southern California
Philip K. Dick as Composer: An ab initio Investigation
Jeff Cook, Independent Scholar
Systems of Power Stearns
Chair: Eliza Ebro
Race and Whiteness in Dick’s The Man in the High Castle
Chenglin Lee, Cal State Fullerton
“Mainlining the Secret Truth of the Universe”: Confronting State Sanctioned Myths in True Detective and A Scanner Darkly
Richard Johnston Jones, Keele University, United Kingdom
Humanizing Androids Tuffree
Chair: Emily Robles
Do Androids Dream of Electric Fetuses?: The Android and Roe v. Wade (1973)
Palmer Rampell, Yale University
Philip K. Dick Here and Now: When is Intelligence Artificial?
Suhail Rafidi, Independent Scholar
Student Symposium Gilman
Philip K. Dick and Time, James Macias
Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: A Warning of the Future?, Kelly O’Donnell
Growing Up Philip, Sarah Brewer
The Letters that Make Philip K. Dick: A Look at the Author’s Late Life, Jack Abbott
Library Panel Pollak Library North 130
Philip K. Dick in the Future
Greg Benford, Bruce McAllister, Maer Wilson
Moderator: David Kelman
3-5
TSU Event TSU Theater
Keynote Lecture
Dr. Ursula Heise, Dick’s New Natures
Keynote/Panelist Biographies:
Gregory Benford is a friend to Philip K. Dick, a science fiction author, and an astrophysicist. He is Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at UC, Irvine. He won the Nebula for his novel Timescape.
James Blaylock is an award-wining writer, CSUF alum, and a friend of Philip K. Dick. He is a founding Steampunk author. His most recent novel is Beneath London, part of his Langdon St. Ives series.
Grania Davis was Philip K. Dick’s close friend when he lived in Marin County during the turbulent 1960s-70s. A memoir of those days can be found in Tree of Life, Book of Death: The Treasures of Grania Davis.
Tessa Dick met Philip K. Dick in 1972 and shared the strange experiences that led to his “Exegesis”.
Daniel Gilbertson worked with Philip K. Dick 1979-1982 while developing the screen version of “Second Variety.” He wrote about Philip K. Dick and Hollywood for Cinefantastique
Ursula Heise, Professor of English, UCLA, was a Guggenheim Fellow and President of the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment. Her book, Imagining Extinction, is forthcoming.
Howard Hendrix has written six novels, numerous short stories, and published scholarly works as well. His fiction has been nominated for the Nebula. He teaches writing and literature at CSUF, Fresno.
Jonathan Lethem is a writer, and winner of the National Book Critics Award and a MacArthur Fellowship. He edited The Library of America volumes on Philip K. Dick and co-edited his Exegesis.
Bruce McAllister is a writer and Professor Emeritus of the University of Redlands. He met Philip K. Dick when teaching at CSUF. His recent novel is The Village Sang to the Sea: A Memoir of Magic.
Tim Powers is an award-wining writer, CSUF alum, and a friend of Philip K. Dick. He is a founding Steampunk author. His most recent novel is Medusa’s Web.
Gregg Rickman is the author of Variable Man: The Lives of Philip K. Dick (forthcoming).
Paul Sammon is the author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner and Philip K. Dick’s friend.
William Sarill is an old friend of Philip K. Dick ‘s, living for a month as his houseguest in 1968. Two articles on Philip K. Dick are available on academia.edu. He is also giving a conference paper 10:30 Friday morning.
Jacob Weisman edits and is one of the publishers of Tachyon Publications. His writing has appeared in Realms of Fantasy and The Nation. He is currently editing Invaders: 22 tales from the Outer Limits of Literature.
Gary Westfahl is a scholarly author and reviewer who has published very widely on SF, including The Biographical Encyclopedia of SF Film and on movies for Locus Online, among many others.
Maer Wilson is a writer, CSUF alum, and close friend of Philip K. Dick’s. She is writing about him in The Other Side of Philip K. Dick. She wrote the Modern Magics series, Apocalypta Z, and is working on SF novel, The Truthsayer.
SF at CSUF 