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Explore Tworkov’s extraordinary journey across art, spirituality and culture in search of truth and belonging.Celebrate Helen Tworkov’s memoir, Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America, at this free LiteraryArts@SPAC event presented in collaboration with Skidmore College and The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum.
Moderated by Benjamin Bogin, Associate Professor of Asian Studies at Skidmore College with an introduction by SPAC Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Sobol, the conversation will explore Tworkov’s spiritual journey, her upbringing in New York’s vibrant art world as the daughter of acclaimed artist Jack Tworkov, her reflections on Buddhism’s evolution in the West, and the experiences and encounters that inspired her memoir. Set against the cultural backdrop of the Vietnam War and the American counterculture, Lotus Girl traces her search for meaning and truth through Japan, India and Nepal, where she encountered some of the most influential Buddhist teachers of her time.
The daughter of an artist, Tworkov grew up immersed in New York’s Abstract Expressionist art scene, yet from an early age questioned the cultural norms that shaped her world. At 22, after encountering an iconic photograph of Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc, whose act of protest profoundly challenged her understanding of the human mind and spirit, she set off for Japan and later traveled through Cambodia, India and Nepal in search of a deeper understanding of truth and the self. Tworkov went on to found The Tricycle Foundation in 1990, helping bring Buddhist perspectives and teachings to a wider Western audience through Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.
In Lotus Girl, she reflects on a life shaped by encounters with extraordinary figures across the worlds of art and spirituality, including the Dalai Lama, Pema Chödrön, Charles Mingus and Richard Serra. Blending personal experience with research and reflection, Tworkov offers a distinctive perspective on the intersection of Buddhist wisdom and American values, while exploring the universal search for belonging, meaning and a place to call home.
This event is free to attend, however space is limited. Register now!
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Event venue
108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, Saratoga Springs, NY, United States, New York 12866
Tickets
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