Margaret Olsen

Professor Margaret Olsen is a faculty member in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at Macalester College. Her research focuses on early modern transatlantic studies, Caribbean literature, and Afro-Latino cultural discourse with an emphasis on colonial resistance and postcolonial legacies. She holds a BA and MA from The Ohio State University and a PhD from Tulane University.

Her work examines colonial power dynamics through discursive analysis of texts by figures like Alonso de Sandoval, while contemporary projects explore how marginalized communities use performance and orality to resist oppression. Publications include the monograph Slavery and Salvation in Colonial Cartagena de Indias (2004) and articles in Hispanic Review and Research in African Literatures.

Recent scholarship addresses topics such as diasporic memory in Caribbean writing and the intersection of civic engagement with academic expertise. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges historical analysis with contemporary cultural studies.

Personal interests include natural environments and a longing for a quiet rural retreat with horses. No formal grants or advising details are documented in the provided text.