2009 pop conference

Every April in Seattle, the Experience Music Project puts together the Pop Conference, which "joins academics, critics, performers, and writers of all kinds in a rare common discussion." Put another way, it's an excuse for those who love music to participate in panel discussions built around a central theme. This year, it's "Dance Music Sex Romance: Pop and the Body Politic," and I'm proud to say I've been invited to speak as part of a panel called "Sexual Healing?" My topic? How George Michael's "Father Figure" Made Me a Man.