Laurie Sears

Laurie Sears is a Professor of History at the University of Washington, specializing in social and intellectual history of Southeast Asia. Her work focuses on 19th-20th century colonial Indonesia, Javanese literary traditions, and transnational cultural exchanges. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Java, Bali, and Jakarta, blending oral and written sources to analyze historical narratives.

Her research methodologies emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, particularly using literary works as 'situated testimonies' of social history. She teaches courses on Southeast Asian history, Javanese performing arts, and colonialism.

Her major publications include Shadows of Empire (1996), exploring Indian epics in Javanese shadow puppetry, and Situated Testimonies (2013), developing archival methodologies for postcolonial literary analysis.

Her career includes over six years of residence in Indonesia, with early research on Javanese mystical traditions and performing arts. She also has fieldwork experience in India and Greece, reflecting her interest in transregional cultural dynamics.