Brenda Venus

Brenda Venus is an American actress, model, author, ballerina[2] and filmmaker.[3]

Brenda Venus
Portrait of Brenda Venus
Born
Biloxi,[1] Mississippi, USA
Other namesBrenda Gabrielle Venus
OccupationAuthor, actress, filmmaker
Years active1967-2010

Brenda Gabrielle Venus was born on November 10, 1947 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Venus is of Native American and Sicilian ancestry.[4]

Literary career

Venus is the author of Secrets of Seduction[5] and Secrets of Seduction for Women[6][7] and a 2012 novella titled "Twelve Hours".[8] Her books have been translated into 37 languages.[9] Publishers William Morrow and E.P. Dutton sent her on a worldwide publicity tour[10][11] making various appearances on TV,[12][13] radio[14] and press interviews. For over six years, starting in 1998, Venus wrote a popular column for Playboy magazine called "Centerfolds on Sex."[15] She also produced, directed, shot and narrated the documentary film, Love and Sex in LA with seven Playboy Centerfolds and up-coming actors in LA.

Relationship with Henry Miller

When Venus was a college student, she purchased a book at an auction that contained an envelope with the address of famed writer Henry Miller. Venus wrote to Miller and they became "pen pals". Eventually Miller became her mentor and Brenda his muse.[16] Miller wrote 1,500 letters that were collected into the 1986 book Dear, Dear Brenda – The Love Letters of Henry Miller to Brenda Venus.[17][18][19]

In his book Joey, Miller wrote of Venus: "To love at the end of one's life is something special. Few women can inspire that sort of love. To wake up with the words of love on one's lips--what bliss! Just to say "Brenda" puts me in ecstasy."[20]

Miller's long-time friend and confidant, fellow novelist and poet Lawrence Durrell wrote in the introduction to Miller's book Dear, Dear Brenda that: "The role of Brenda Venus will keep its interest and importance also as a memorial of his last great attachment--an Ariel to his Prospero... She enabled him to dominate his infirmities and to experience all the Joys of Paradise."[21]

According to writer Ed Millis, "Venus was a source of inspiration to the aging and ailing Miller. Brenda was all of 24 years of age, Henry was 84. She was a beautiful Southern belle, "The Boticelli of Mississippi"—he called her. Henry, the renegade intellectual, the writer, had taken millions of us to the sexy Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. Now he was sick and slowly recuperating. He needed a lift in spirits... Brenda the Muse breathed life into her mortal charge and gave him reason to live. Miller gave her focus and fine tuning and wrote Venus over 1,500 letters which amounted to four-thousand hand-written pages. She responded in kind for over four years—the last four years of his life. "[22]

Film and TV

Venus appeared in the Clint Eastwood film The Eiger Sanction and several other films. She also appeared as a host/narrator in Love & Sex in LA.

Her movie appearances include:

Title Year Role Notes
Night Fright1967Sue
An Eye for an Eye1973Joanie
Foxy Brown1974Jennifer
The Eiger Sanction1975George
The Legend of Valentino1975Constance CarrTV Movie
Against a Crooked Sky1975Ashkea
Swashbuckler1976Bath Attendant
Joshua1976Sam's Wife
FM1978Dolores Deluxe
Deathsport1978Adriann
48 Hrs.1982Hooker
The Avenging1982Juanita Quintana(final film role)

Russian play

On her birthday, November 10, Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin requested that she visit Moscow as his guest. The invitation was to attend the opening performance of Venus, a play about her life.[23] Members of the Bolshoi Ballet were cast along with Olympic Gold Medalist, Svetlana Khorkina, who played the title role.[1][24]

Objet d'Art

Brenda has been the subject of several artists besides Henry Miller, including painter Harold Frank,[25] photographer Ken Marcus, and former boxer Gary Dobry.[26]

Playboy appearances

In the spring of 1997, Venus posed for a celebrity nude pictorial in Playboy Magazine.[27]

She also appeared in Playboy in July 1986.[28] According to the Playboy website:

"One of the women with whom Miller had a romantic, yet platonic, relationship was Brenda Venus. Her friendship with Miller lasted four years, until his death in 1980. In 1986, some of the hundreds of letters Miller wrote to Venus were published in the book Dear, Dear Brenda. Following the book's release, Venus posed for the July 1986 issue of Playboy."[29]

References
  1. King, Steve (June 7, 2013). "Daybook: Nin, Miller, Venus". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  2. "Brenda Venus Ballet". YouTube. January 17, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  3. "Love & Sex in LA". YouTube. January 17, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  4. Brenda Venus at IMDb Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  5. Venus, Brenda (May 1, 1993). The Secrets of Seduction: How to Be the Best Lover Your Woman Ever Had. Dutton. ISBN 978-0525936015. Retrieved May 12, 2019. isbn:9780525936015.
  6. Corrigan, Patricia (February 1, 1997). "Making Book on Lots of Flirtatious Maneuvers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch  – via Questia (subscription required) . Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  7. Venus, Brenda (February 1, 1996). Secrets of Seduction for Women. Dutton. ISBN 978-0525941033. Retrieved May 12, 2019. isbn:9780525941033.
  8. ""Twelve Hours" by Brenda Venus". twelve-hours.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  9. "Brenda Venus – Secrets of Seduction". liftoph.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  10. "Who is Brenda Venus?". Omnilexica. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  11. "Brenda Venus : Early Career, Images, Film and TV, Russian Play, and a List of Books by Author Brenda Venus". PaperBackSwap. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  12. "The Paley Center for Media". The Paley Center for Media. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  13. Venus, Brenda (January 24, 2009). "Brenda Venus & Masters". YouTube. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  14. "Brenda Venus". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  15. "Brenda Venus in Love Advice | Love Advice Advisor at INGENIO". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  16. Young, Noel (February 2, 1986). "Dear, Dear Brenda THE LOVE LETTERS OF HENRY MILLER TO BRENDA VENUS; text by Brenda Venus; edited by Gerald S. Sindell; introduction by Lawrence Durrell (Morrow: $17.95; 191 pp.)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  17. Davidson, Cathy N. (March 21, 1996). The Book of Love: Writers and Their Love Letters. Plume. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-452-27594-2. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  18. Whitman, Alden (January 1, 1986). "Miller's letters show love of life". Chicago Sun-Times  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
  19. Tytell, John (May 5, 1991). "Naughty Boy Of American Literature". The Washington Post  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  20. "Brenda Venus - Relationship With Henry Miller - Relationship Henry Miller - Technology Trends". Primidi. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  21. "75 Books Challenge for 2013: brenpike reads - 75 Books Challenge for 2013". Librarything.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  22. "RRABIA. ¡ si no la tienes deberias tenerla !. primavera 2003. henry miller. brenda venus". todocoleccion.net. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  23. Terex, Natasha (February 22, 2002). "Russia's top gymnast turns to acting". The Russian Journal. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  24. Rich, Tim (July 17, 2004). "OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: Toxteth Teenager Takes Aim at Russian Queen". The Independent  – via Questia (subscription required) . Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  25. ManagedArtwork.com. "Art Galleries Santa Fe - Canyon - Matthews Gallery - Harold Frank - Artist-Detail". Thematthewsgallery.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  26. "On The Canvas". Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
  27. Bio, brendavenus.com
  28. Brenda Venus, nudography.com
  29. Brenda Venus Archived 2017-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, playboy.com
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