Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781250321558)

From one of the central figures in Buddhism's introduction to the West and the founder of Tricycle magazine comes a brilliant memoir of forging one's own path that Pico Iyer calls "unflinching" and "indispensable."

The daughter of an artist, Helen Tworkov grew up in the heady climate of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism; yet from an early age, she questioned the value of Western cultural norms. Her life was forever changed when she saw the iconic photo of Thich Quang Duc, the Vietnamese monk who, seated in meditation, set himself on fire to protest his government's crackdown on the Buddhist clergy. Tworkov realized that radically different states of mind truly existed and were worth exploring. At the age of twenty-two, she set off for Japan, then traveled through Cambodia, India, and eventually to Tibetan refugee camps in Nepal.

Set against the arresting cultural backdrop of the sixties and their legacy, this intimate self-portrait depicts Tworkov's search for a true home as she interacts with renowned artists and spiritual luminaries including the Dalai Lama, Pema Chr, Joseph Goldstein, Bernie Glassman, Charles Mingus, Elizabeth Murray and Richard Serra.

Interweaving experience, research, and revelation, Helen Tworkov explores the relationship between Buddhist wisdom and American values, presenting a wholly unique look at the developing landscape of Buddhism in the West. Lotus Girl offers insight not only into Tworkov's own search for the truth, but into the ways each of us can better understand and transform ourselves.

Author: Helen Tworkov
ISBN-10: 1250321557
ISBN-13: 9781250321558
Publisher: St. Martin's Essentials
Language: English
Published: 04/16/2024
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.80h x 6.00w x 1.30d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/08/2024
Library Journal 03/01/2024 pg. 109
Shelf Awareness 04/19/2024