Leah Comeau

Leah’s dissertation is a study of shifting devotional aesthetics found in medieval Tamil Śaiva poetry. The focal point of this project is the ninth-century poem, Tirukkōvaiyār, attributed to the renowned bhakti saint Māṇikkavācakar. Leah’s other research interests include textuality and technology in South Indian temples, translation and performance of religious literatures, and the interplay between natural landscapes and religious expression more broadly. Before studying at Penn, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Syracuse University in 2001, and she continued her education at Duke University, earning a Master of Divinity in 2005. She holds graduate certificates in Feminist and Gender Studies from both Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania.