Brenda Venus
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Brenda Venus is an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
actress, model, author, and filmmaker.


Early life

Brenda Gabrielle Venus was born on November 10, 1947 in
Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...
. Venus is of Native American and Sicilian ancestry.


Literary career

Venus is the author of ''Secrets of Seduction'' and ''Secrets of Seduction for Women'' and a 2012 novella titled "Twelve Hours". Her books have been translated into 37 languages. Publishers William Morrow and E.P. Dutton sent her on a worldwide publicity tour making various appearances on TV, radio and press interviews. For over six years, starting in 1998, Venus wrote a popular column for ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'' magazine called "Centerfolds on Sex." 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 Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...
. Venus wrote to Miller and they became "pen pals". Eventually Miller became her mentor and Brenda his muse. Miller wrote 1,500 letters that were collected into the 1986 book ''Dear, Dear Brenda – The Love Letters of Henry Miller to Brenda Venus''. Miller's long-time friend and confidant, fellow novelist and poet
Lawrence Durrell Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. Born in India to British colonial pare ...
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." 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 The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...
'' 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. "


Film and TV

Venus appeared in the Clint Eastwood film ''
The Eiger Sanction ''The Eiger Sanction'' is a 1972 thriller novel by Trevanian, the pen name of Rodney William Whitaker. The story is about a classical art professor and collector who doubles as a professional assassin, and who is coerced out of retirement to ave ...
'' and several other films. She also appeared as a host/narrator in '' Love & Sex in LA''. Her movie appearances include:


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. Members of the
Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it came to internatio ...
were cast along with Olympic Gold Medalist,
Svetlana Khorkina Svetlana Vasilyevna Khorkina (russian: Светлана Васильевна Хоркина; born 19 January 1979) is a retired Russian artistic gymnast. She competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the 2000 Summer Olympics, and the 2004 Summer Ol ...
, who played the title role.


Objet d'Art

Brenda has been the subject of several artists besides Henry Miller, including painter Harold Frank, photographer
Ken Marcus Ken Marcus (born October 2, 1946) is an American Photographer, best known for his glamour photography with ''Penthouse'' and ''Playboy'' magazines. For over 40 years he has produced hundreds of centerfolds, editorials, album covers, and advert ...
, and former boxer Gary Dobry.


''Playboy'' appearances

In the spring of 1997, Venus posed for a celebrity nude pictorial in ''Playboy'' Magazine. She also appeared in ''Playboy'' in July 1986. 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''."Brenda Venus
, playboy.com


References


External links

* * Brenda venus portrait.jpg {{DEFAULTSORT:Venus, Brenda American film actresses American radio actresses American soap opera actresses Living people People from Biloxi, Mississippi Actresses from Salt Lake City 1947 births Muses 21st-century American women Seduction