You’ll be amazed at this ingenious and gifted group of poets and musicians of all ages, presenting their original words and tunes.
Hosts, Dori Marler and James Maverick, are talented and accomplished artists in their own right, who are so enthusiastic and welcoming, you may be motivated to stand up and contribute your own prose and/or song lyrics.
Judy Barrat has lived in Studio City since 1971, referring to it as "A neat suburban 'metropolis' mere minutes from the real ‘city,’ and who can resist having a Trader Joe's within walking distance of home?"
Barrat will be ‘featured’ on Sunday at the Coffee Fix, which means she’s onstage for 20 minutes as opposed to the usual 5-6 minutes. Judy is thankful for this opportunity and finds significance “knowing that something I write resonates with people.”
Born in the Bronx, Judy started composing poetry and short fiction as a young teenager, but gave it up in her 20's when she moved to Los Angeles, got married, had two children, and subsequently became a single working mom with minimal creative time.
As the years passed, Barrat began dabbling again in her passion, and not too long ago, was convinced by “Poetry Fix” founder, Dori, to bring her artistic endeavors into the light.
Dori feels privileged to have watched Judy conquer her fear of presenting personal pieces in front of an audience and blossoming into a spoken word virtuoso.
Judy currently takes pleasure in sharing her thoughts and verbal skills at various venues around Los Angeles, receiving extremely encouraging and supportive responses.
Recently, Barrat began to fuse her writings with a musical background of jazz and blues. She is known to collaborate with competent vocalists, adding another exciting element to her performances.
Judy has been featured at “Unbuckled Poetry” in North Hollywood, which is hosted by Radomir Luza on the first Saturday of the month and at the Westwood Library, hosted by Wyatt Underwood.
She participates in open mic nights at: Jax in Glendale on Mondays, hosted by David Hopkins; Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill on Thursdays, hosted by Dolores Peterson; and the Gardenia in Hollywood on Tuesdays.
Judy occasionally appears on Wednesdays from 8-10pm at the Coffee Fix during the weekly “Story Salon” series, hosted by the capable, clever, and celebrated Beverly Mickens.
Actress/singer and devoted fan, Jody Jaress, calls Barrat’s works, “poignantly descriptive, always carrying a depth of insight and mystery, while often including an unexpected humorous twist.”
Jody reveals that “No matter what her subject or genre, Judy's writings are brilliantly and defiantly a lot like Judy herself... wonderfully enjoyable to say the least.”
Barrat gets her inspiration from “life and imagination.” She loves entertaining at the Coffee Fix because of “its intimate atmosphere and the eclectic crowd it draws.”
The Coffee Fix is located at 12508 Moorpark St., Studio City, 818-762-0181. Open mic signups start at 4:30pm. No cover. Ample free parking.
