Writers and special guests attended the Grateful Dead sessions at the recent Southwest Popular/American Culture Association conference. Held in Albuquerque, NM, the conference drew more than 1,000 academics, with the Dead Area — nicknamed the Grateful Dead Scholars Caucus — as the single largest group. Presentations on every conceivable aspect of the Grateful Dead, from their music and business practices to how they fit into larger contexts, from philosophy to cultural studies.