It’s the Fourth of July. That means fireworks to celebrate U.S. independence, and the Mustard Belt to celebrate the winner of the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. And what a winner it was today: Joey Chestnut, now 12-time winner, just ate 71 hot dogs & buns in 10 minutes!
My middle grade novel BIG MOUTH is about a boy aspiring to win that contest. Chestnut has the Mustard Belt — BIG MOUTH has mustard graffiti, a school district sponsored by a ketchup company, and commercial breaks. It was so much fun to write — and to research!
I took this photo of me at the Nathan’s Famous contest in 2007. Yummy hot dogs… but I stuck with two.
Happy Fourth of July!
