Purusha Larkin
Purusha Androgyne Larkin | |
|---|---|
Purusha in his home, circa 1983 | |
| Born | Peter Allison Larkin January 17, 1934 |
| Died | June 22, 1988 (aged 54) |
| Other names | Christopher Larkin |
Purusha Androgyne Larkin (17 January 1934 – 22 June 1988), born Peter Allison Larkin and also known as Christopher Larkin, was an American author and filmmaker.
Biography
Larkin was born as Peter Allison Larkin on January 17, 1934 in St. Louis, Missouri.[1][2] After graduating from John Burroughs School,[3] Larkin studied literature, philosophy, and religion at Rollins College and University of Notre Dame. He devoted ten years to Roman Catholic religious and monastic life, during which he obtained a master's degree in theology from the University of Toronto and served as a theologian and counselor at Yale University's St. Thomas More House.[2]
In the late 1960s, Larkin withdrew from religious life and moved to New York City.[2] Using the stage name Christopher Larkin, he produced and directed the semi-autobiographical 1974 film A Very Natural Thing.[4][2] The film is considered to be the first commercially distributed feature film about gay life made by a gay man.[5] Following the movie's release, Larkin traveled extensively around the world before settling in Ocean Beach, San Diego in 1977.[6][7]
In San Diego, Larkin began to explore tantric sexuality, meditation, massage, body modification and fisting.[2] Around this time he adopted the name "Purusha Androgyne Larkin."[2][4][6] In 1981, he published The Divine Androgyne According To Purusha. Larkin took his own life on June 22, 1988 after two years of struggling with HIV/AIDS.[1][2]
References
- ^ a b State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. — via Ancestry.com
- ^ a b c d e f g Thompson, Mark (2004). "Erotic Ecstasy: An Interview With Purusha the Androgyne". Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics, and Practice. Los Angeles: Daedalus Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-881943-20-4.
- ^ "The 1951 Year Book". The John Burroughs School Yearbook. XVII. Clayton, Missouri: John Burroughs School: 31. May 1951 – via Ancestry.com.
- ^ a b Saylor, Steven (1982-04-29). "A Search for Ecstasy" (PDF). The Sentinel. Vol. 9, no. 12. San Francisco. p. 11. Retrieved 2025-05-18 – via University of California, Berkeley.
- ^ "A Very Natural Thing- 1974". Fire Island Pines Historical Society. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ a b Larkin, Purusha (1981). The Divine Androgyne According To Purusha: Adventures In Cosmic Erotic Ecstasy and Androgyne Bodyconsciousness. San Diego, California: Sanctuary Publications. pp. 63, 192.
- ^ 1978 San Diego City Directory. Dallas, Texas: R.L. Polk & Co. 1977. p. 718 – via Ancestry.com.