Prudence Farrow
| Prudence Farrow | |
|---|---|
| Born | Prudence Anne Villiers Farrow Bruns January 20, 1948 Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Residence | Seagrove Beach, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of California at Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Author, Meditation, Teacher, Producer |
| Years active | ?-present |
| Home town | New York City, NY, USA |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Spouse | Albert Burns |
| Partner | Robert Durst |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Mia Farrow (sister) |
Prudence Anne Villiers Farrow Bruns (born January 20, 1948, Los Angeles, California, United States[1]) is an American author, meditation teacher, and film producer. She is the daughter of film director John Farrow and actress Maureen O'Sullivan, and the younger sister of actress Mia Farrow.[2] She is the subject of the Beatles song "Dear Prudence".[2]
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[edit] Early life
Farrow was raised in the Catholic faith and attended convent schools.[3] Farrow first learned the Transcendental Meditation technique in 1966 at UCLA,[3] In 1967, after contemplating joining a convent and then trying LSD, 19-year old Farrow became interested in yoga.[4] She opened a yoga institute at a former church in Boston.[5]
[edit] Rishikesh
On January 23, 1968, Farrow, along with her sister Mia and brother John, traveled with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi by plane from New York to India, and then to the Maharishi's ashram in Rishikesh, India for a Transcendental Meditation teacher training course.[citation needed]
The Beatles arrived shortly thereafter, on the February 16 and 20.[6] Farrow became so serious about her meditation while in India, that she "turned into a near recluse" and "rarely came out" of the cottage she was living in. Her sister reports she meditated 23 hours a day.[7] John Lennon was asked to "contact her and make sure she came out more often to socialize". As a result Lennon wrote the song "Dear Prudence". Lennon said later that "She'd been locked in for three weeks and was trying to reach God quicker than anyone else".[2][8]
Farrow was dedicated to mastering the TM technique well enough so that she could become a TM teacher. According to Farrow: "I would always rush straight back to my room after lectures and meals so I could meditate. John, George and Paul would all want to sit around jamming and having a good time and I'd be flying into my room. They were all serious about what they were doing, but they just weren't as fanatical as me".[2]
[edit] Education and career
Farrow taught TM for several decades after her TM teacher training course in India.[2][9] Among those she mentored was comedian Andy Kaufman.[10] She returned to India for further instruction from the Maharishi in 1986.[3] She has taught Transcendental Meditation in NW Florida since 1970.[11]
Farrow earned a BA, an MA, and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley after majoring in South and Southeast Asian studies.[2] Her doctoral dissertation was on pulse diagnosis, titled Nadivijnana, the Crest-Jewel of Ayurveda: A Translation of Six Central Texts and an Examination of the Sources, Influences and Development of Indian Pulse-Diagnosis.[12] After obtaining her doctorate, she became an elementary school teacher.[2][13]
Farrow has worked in the theater and film industry.[14] Farrow worked as a production assistant on The Muppets Take Manhattan in 1984, and was the art department coordinator for The Purple Rose of Cairo in 1985. She worked on The Jesuit and The Tony Clifton Story, which were never produced.[citation needed] She also "conceived and co-produced" the 1994 film Widows' Peak, which featured her sister, Mia Farrow, in a part originally written for their mother, Maureen O'Sullivan.[14][15] In 1999, she was one of four producers involved in staging Up From the Ground at the WestBeth Theatre in New York City.[14]
Farrow became a magazine writer in the 2000s.[13] Using her married name, Prudence Bruns, she has authored articles on Asian studies, world religions, ayurveda, and healthy living.[16]
She has presented at conferences and held teaching positions at the University of California at Berkeley, Rutgers University and the University of Wisconsin.[17]
[edit] Personal life
In the early 1980s, Farrow was dating New York real estate heir Robert Durst at the time his wife disappeared.[18]
Farrow (Bruns) has three children and four grandchildren.[2]
[edit] External links
- Prudence F. Bruns Home page
[edit] References
- ^ California Births 1905-1995
- ^ a b c d e f g h Doyle, Jack (July 27, 2009). "Dear Prudence, 1967-1968". PopHistoryDig.com. http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=beatles-prudence-farrow. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
- ^ a b c "`Dear Prudence' living, teaching TM in Walton". Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.): p. 1C. October 25, 1992.
- ^ Associated Press (October 24, 1967). ""Art and fashion on show". Gettysburg Times: p. 5. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q2wmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lP8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=902,610517&dq=prudence+farrow&hl=en.
- ^ The Sydney Morning Herald: p. 8. November 9, 1967. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RZUpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OOcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1360,2696923&dq=prudence+farrow&hl=en.
- ^ The Ultimate Beatles Quiz Book, Michael Hockinson, page 128, St. Martins Press, 1990.
- ^ WARREN, MICHAEL (November 5, 1995). "NOT TUNED IN: Farrow tells story of `Dear Prudence' Sister meditated 23 hours a day, oblivious to song written for her". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: p. 8.
- ^ The American book of the Dead, Oliver Trager, page 90, Simon and Schuster, 1997
- ^ Here, There and Everywhere: the 100 best Beatles songs, Stephen J Spignesi, Michael Lewis, page 252
- ^ Zehme, Bill (1999-12-01). Lost in the funhouse. Delacorte Press. p. 97.
- ^ / NW Florida TM program web site
- ^ SIMMONS, TONY (April 3, 2011). "Seeking the Roots of Thought: Once John Lennon's muse, 'Dear Prudence' now teaches meditation". Panama City, Florida: NewsHerald.com. http://www.newsherald.com/articles/beach-92347-city-panama.html.
- ^ a b Magee, David (October 17, 2009). "How the real 'Dear Prudence' in John Lennon's song inspired me". Chattanooga Times Free Press: p. B.1.
- ^ a b c Bruns, Prudence, (October 20, 2009). "Resume". prudencefbruns.com. http://www.prudencefbruns.com/resources/Resume.pdf. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
- ^ Prudence Farrow - IMDB web site
- ^ / Publications by Prudence F. Bruns, PhD
- ^ / curriculum vitae, Prudence F. Bruns, PhD
- ^ Hewitt, Bill (December 4, 2000). "Resuming the Search". [[People (magazine)|]] 54 (24). http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20133152,00.html.
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