Magdalena J. Zaborowska

Magdalena J. Zaborowska is a Professor in the Departments of Afroamerican and African Studies and American Culture at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She holds dual academic appointments, specializing in African American literature, transatlantic discourses on race and gender, and post-totalitarian East-Central Europe. Her research bridges literary analysis with cultural studies, focusing on figures like James Baldwin and the intersection of queer sexuality, immigrant narratives, and feminist theory.

Her academic roles include visiting professorships at institutions such as the University of Oregon, Aarhus University (Denmark), and Université Paul-Valéry (France). She has authored award-winning books including James Baldwin’s Turkish Decade: Erotics of Exile (2009) and How We Found America (1995). Her current projects include digital humanities initiatives like Archiving the Invisible House and collaborations with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Zaborowska’s research emphasizes global cultural exchanges, particularly exploring how American racial and sexual ideologies permeate post-Cold War Eastern Europe. Her work frequently intersects with public scholarship, including the Chez Baldwin online exhibit and the Borderland Foundation in Poland, which promotes multiculturalism. She has received prestigious awards such as the William Sanders Scarborough Prize (2009) and was a Hunting Family Fellow (2009–2010).

Her teaching spans African American literature, gender studies, and transnational immigrant narratives. Beyond academia, she engages with NGOs and cultural initiatives, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary and socially engaged scholarship.