Patricia Barey

Patricia Barey, a writer and filmmaker, won two Emmys during her career at Chicago public television. She became a fan of Julia Child the moment she saw her lift a spoon to her lips, close her eyes and sigh, “Magnifique!” With Therese Burson, Pat owns a media company that produces documentaries about the work of extraordinary people who have changed our world. What better story to tell than that of the woman who transformed the way America eats and thinks about food? They pulled down their butter-stained copies of Julia’s masterworks on the art of French cooking, and over a bubbling pot of boeuf bourguignon, decided to find out all they could about this beloved icon. They dug deep into her letters and family photos and were thrilled to find intimate details of her daily life: her love affair with husband Paul, French food and Paris. And they made a delicious discovery – the secret ingredient in Julia’s joie de vivre was a lifelong passion for pussycats. They knew Julia’s story wouldn’t be complete unless it included Julia’s cats. Pat lives in Tucson, Arizona with two chats lunatiques, Ella and Rosie.