It was January 1, 1998, and Greg Miller had already worked for weeks without break. His task was to test software for Y2K, crunching code so that computers would not implode in the new millennium. It was tedious work, and Greg was known as the “Jolt guy,” downing copious amounts of soda to stay focused. Though computers were his job, birds were his passion, and never far from his mind for as long as he could remember. He recently devoured Kenn Kaufman’s Kingbird Highway and was dreaming of doing a Big Year. Despite his empty bank account and rusting car, he thought perhaps he could pull it off. Maybe if he worked insane hours, maxed out multiple credit cards, and ate only peanut butter and pretzels. He was well into his Big Year before learning that two other birders were also doing one. They managed to find each other – and many rare species around the country – at a time when there were no cell phones, no social media, and birders called hotlines to hear week-old, pre-recorded news.
Remarkably, Greg’s 1998 Big Year turned into a career. More than 25 years later, he is traveling the country talking about a contest he didn’t win, a movie he didn’t star in, and signing books he didn’t write. And birding, of course.
Join us to hear Greg Miller recount how his Big Year unfolded, how it turned into a best-selling book by Mark Obmascik, and about his time on the set of the acclaimed comedy movie starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black. With humor and joy, Greg shares stories, insights, and appreciation for an unexpected turn of fate. He marvels, “It’s amazing to me that the most selfish and irresponsible year of my life is now the most celebrated!”
P.S. We recommend that you watch “The Big Year” movie and read the page-turning book before tuning in to the program. You’ll wish you did, to ask Greg about all kinds of things!
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