Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
On Thursday, November 5 at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET, BirdNote welcomed author Helen Macdonald, comedian Joe Zimmerman, and musician Madison Cunningham for The Greatest Brown Bag Lunch in the History of Human Civilization, a benefit celebrating birds, storytelling, music, and laughter.
The event featured a conversation with acclaimed author Helen Macdonald, whose books about birds, nature, and the human experience have captivated readers around the world. Comedian and avid birder Joe Zimmerman put Helen’s bird knowledge to the test with a lively quiz that audience members could play along with. Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham rounded out the program with a special musical performance.
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About the Guests
Birder, falconer and writer Helen Macdonald’s book H is for Hawk won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, the Costa Book of the Year, and was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award. They wrote the NYT bestselling essay collection Vesper Flights, a cultural history of falcons, several collections of poetry, and (with Sin Blaché) the sci-fi novel Prophet. They’re are currently working on a book about Midway Atoll, albatrosses, and the end of the world. Formerly a historian of science at the University of Cambridge, they've have written and presented several television documentaries for PBS and the BBC. They currently live in Suffolk, England, with three parrots.
Joe Zimmerman is a comedian and writer in New York City, who grew up in West Virginia and graduated from Davidson College. His work has appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and his latest 1-hour comedy special, “Cult Classic,” was named one of the best of the year by L.A.’s The Comedy Bureau. His TV appearances include The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, Conan, and Comedy Central. He has written for awards shows, TV, and political speeches, and he’s currently writing a humorous novel from the perspective of a bird-obsessed unreliable narrator.
Grammy-award winner Madison Cunningham is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Rolling Stone described her music as "a new spin on West Coast folk-rock, with classical tendencies, electric guitars, jazz-school chord changes and alt-rock strut all living under the same roof. GRAMMY award. She returns with Ace, her third record for Verve Forecast.