Saturday, July 15, 2006 10:08 PM CDT
'I thought Bagelfest was the coolest thing in the world'
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
Will Leitch is fired up for a Bagelfest homecoming this week.
The author from Mattoon will be doing more than signing copies of his new book “Catch,” which is set in Mattoon and features Bagelfest as a backdrop for a romance between his young characters. He wants to get back to enjoy the festival that was a summer tradition when he was growing up as a “‘Tooner.”
“As a kid I thought Bagelfest was the coolest thing in the world,” the 1993 Mattoon High School graduate said during a phone interview from his New York City residence. “I remember riding a bike around town for bagels. And you’d eat one while riding. I remember being excited about meeting Murray Lender. He was the guy who had his name on the bagels.”
Started in the 1980s, Bagelfest was introduced to Mattoon by Lender to get the town excited about being the new home of his family’s bagel manufacturing plant. There was a carnival-like atmosphere and the generosity as well with a free bagel breakfast in downtown Mattoon. One event had the largest bagel on record at the time baked in a special oven on the grounds of Lenders Bagels in Mattoon.
“I think I made it to the first 10 Bagelfests then life happened,” said Leitch.
That included college at the University of Illinois. Then he entered into online journalism in New York City. His first book, “Life As A Loser,” was published in 2004. Then “Catch” came out last year, and he is working on two more books for publication.
He is also engaged to a writer from Cincinnati so his life will be changing even more. She will be part of his “entourage” when he comes to Mattoon.
“I’m bringing my editor from Brooklyn, too. She’s curious about Bagelfest. I told her New York bagels are different from Mattoon bagels. Not better than the other, just different,” he said.
There is a true homecoming tradition with Bagelfest. Mattoon residents come back to visit with parents or siblings during Bagelfest week, which fits well into summer vacation schedules. It also draw people from across the country like Leitch or even the world, a BBC reporter traveled to Mattoon two years ago to cover the festival with young girls in pageants, a pet contest, children enjoying themselves on carnival rides and a parade through town with bagels hanging from some entries.
There is something strange about a Midwestern town surrounding by fields of corn celebrating a kosher food item linked to ethnic neighborhoods in big cities. Maybe that is why it draws interest internationally through online surfers. It has even produced a question on the television quiz show “Jeopardy.” The Bagelfest music performers each year generate phone calls and e-mails for tickets.
Yet, Mattoon has other curiosities that draw interest, too, Leitch noted. For example, the “Mad Gasser” incidents from 1944 cause quite a stink on the Internet. And a good way to perk up a discussion board thread is to mention the Omega Investment Fraud.
Leitch said his book is helping spark renewed interest in the festival. He thinks Bagelfest with its friendly, quirky charm is a better thing to be known for than a weird incident like the Mad Gasser.
“Hopefully, we can get Bagelfest back on top. It is fun to explain it to people who haven’t been there. Mattoon doesn’t seem like a place heavily into bagels. People will come up and ask me, ‘You’re not really from the Bagel Capital of the World are you?’”
During his book signings at Waldenbooks at Cross County Mall, Leitch will get a chance to visit with people he grew up with. Some might ask some embarrassing questions, while others might bring up some forgettable moments. But it is all part of homecoming and hawking a novel, he said.
“They just point to where I’ll sit and hand me a pen,” Leitch joked.
He also plans to walk around and get back in tune with his Bagelfest roots.
He recalled how he and his father decided to think “inside the bagel” when they entered the Bagelfest Bagel Baby Buggy Race. It offered a quick education on aerodynamics and competitive spirit.
“We decided we weren’t going to just put some bagels on a bike. We used a satellite dish and painted it. It looked great. But when we came to the race with it everyone else had bikes with bagels on them. We finished last. We asked people why they didn’t do like us and they said, ‘Hey, it’s a race and you’re too slow!’”
Then there was a bagel contest that involved dressing as a dog. “Now that is really hard to do,” Leitch said. But he laughed as he recalled the experience.
But can you come back to the Bagelfest again? Leitch has been briefed by his parents on some changes.
“They’ve told me it has changed from how I remember it,” he said. “But I really am excited. I’m just curious to see it again.”
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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Stephen wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:22 AM: