Laura Huxley
Encyclopedia
Laura Huxley (November 2, 1911 – December 13, 2007) was a musician
, author
, psychological counselor and lecturer
.
at the age of ten, studying in Berlin
, Paris
and Rome
, where she earned a Professor of Music degree. She also studied at the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia, played in a major symphony orchestra, played before the Queen of Italy at the age of 14
, and performed at Carnegie Hall
in her teens.
In 1949, she was working as a freelance documentary
filmmaker. According to her obituary in the
Los Angeles Times
, Archera called philosopher and author Aldous Huxley
at home, saying that John Huston
had promised to finance her proposed documentary film on the Palio di Siena
if she could get Huxley to agree to write a
screenplay. Archera then became close friends with Huxley and his first wife Maria, who died in 1955.
In 1956, Archera married Huxley. After his death in 1963, she wrote This Timeless Moment: a personal view of Aldous Huxley (1968), a book describing life with her husband. She wrote several self-help
books concerning human relations, including You Are Not the Target (1963) with a foreword written by Aldous Huxley.
In 1977 she founded Our Ultimate Investment (OUI), a non-profit organization dedicated to the nurturing of the possible human, which sponsored a four-day conference entitled Children: Our Ultimate Investment (now also the name of the organization). Huxley has received widespread recognition for her humanistic achievements, including an Honorary Doctorate of Human Services from La Sierra University
, Honoree of the United Nations
Fellow of the International Academy of Medical Preventics, and Honoree of the World Health Foundation for Development, from which she received the Peace Prize in 1990.
In December 2003, the Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health honored her as the 6th recipient of the Thomas R. Verny Award, chosen for outstanding contributions to the field of prenatal and perinatal psychology.
Laura Huxley died of cancer
, aged 96, at her Hollywood Hills
home.
's Potion: The Early Years of LSD
, a documentary from the National Film Board of Canada
.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, psychological counselor and lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
.
Life and work
Born in Turin, Italy, Laura Archera began playing the violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
at the age of ten, studying in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where she earned a Professor of Music degree. She also studied at the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia, played in a major symphony orchestra, played before the Queen of Italy at the age of 14
, and performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in her teens.
In 1949, she was working as a freelance documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
filmmaker. According to her obituary in the
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Archera called philosopher and author Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
at home, saying that John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
had promised to finance her proposed documentary film on the Palio di Siena
Palio di Siena
The Palio di Siena is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy...
if she could get Huxley to agree to write a
screenplay. Archera then became close friends with Huxley and his first wife Maria, who died in 1955.
In 1956, Archera married Huxley. After his death in 1963, she wrote This Timeless Moment: a personal view of Aldous Huxley (1968), a book describing life with her husband. She wrote several self-help
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
books concerning human relations, including You Are Not the Target (1963) with a foreword written by Aldous Huxley.
In 1977 she founded Our Ultimate Investment (OUI), a non-profit organization dedicated to the nurturing of the possible human, which sponsored a four-day conference entitled Children: Our Ultimate Investment (now also the name of the organization). Huxley has received widespread recognition for her humanistic achievements, including an Honorary Doctorate of Human Services from La Sierra University
La Sierra University
La Sierra University is a Seventh-day Adventist co-educational university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Adventist Accrediting Association...
, Honoree of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Fellow of the International Academy of Medical Preventics, and Honoree of the World Health Foundation for Development, from which she received the Peace Prize in 1990.
In December 2003, the Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health honored her as the 6th recipient of the Thomas R. Verny Award, chosen for outstanding contributions to the field of prenatal and perinatal psychology.
Laura Huxley died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, aged 96, at her Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
home.
Film
She was a producer of documentary films, and an assistant film editor at RKO. Huxley appeared in HofmannAlbert Hofmann
Albert Hofmann was a Swiss scientist known best for being the first person to synthesize, ingest and learn of the psychedelic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide . He authored more than 100 scientific articles and a number of books, including LSD: My Problem Child...
's Potion: The Early Years of LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
, a documentary from the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
.