We're taking Seattle bagel coverage up a notch

It's a Shanda 2.0

Welcome to It’s A Shanda, one Northeastern Jew’s quest to find a decent bagel in Seattle (and beyond). If you’re interested in taking this journey with me, make sure you subscribe so you never miss a review. If you want to ensure I review any specific bagels (or want to let me know why I’m wrong), you can email me at seanmatthewkeeley@gmail.com.

If you’ve been a subscriber of It’s a Shanda since I started cataloging my thoughts on Seattle bagels in April 2022 or you literally just signed up a few minutes ago, I am extremely glad you’re here.

Whether you’re obsessive about bagels or you’re just looking for something fun to eat, you’re in good company.

I’ve been writing this newsletter for a little over a year now. It started very much as a hobby, as you might imagine a regional, niche food newsletter would. It was a way to get my thoughts out, have some fun, and hopefully bring a little guidance into my readers’ world about bagels to eat and bagels to avoid.

It’s still all of those things, but dare I say that It’s a Shanda has come to mean more to me. Between the responses and comments I get, the reactions people have to my reviews, and the general sense of appreciation I have for the creative outlet, I’ve been feeling for a while that I’d like to turn this little side project into something bigger.

While I haven’t always stuck to a schedule, I’ve recently tried to commit to a new post and email every Sunday. That’s been a lot of fun as I’ve noshed my way across Western Washington. There are still a lot of bagels left to eat (and eat again). But if I’m being honest, there’s also a lot more to say about bagels. Such a simple foodstuff somehow inspires a lot of thoughts and questions. Bagels are also made by, and eaten by, so many interesting people worth getting to know. I’d like to dig into all of that.

I'm thrilled to announce that starting this week, It’s a Shanda will up its bagel game to a twice-a-week production. I hope you’ll consider supporting my work (and getting even more content!) as a paid subscriber. 

Here’s how it’s going to work: 

• Free subscribers will continue to get the weekly bagel review, which will arrive in your inbox every Sunday. I’ve still got a lot of Seattle and Western Washington bagels to eat, not to mention all the Second Schmear reviews when I return to a bagel shop. 

• Paid subscribers will get access to a special post every Wednesday that delves into the Seattle bagel scene and explores the larger issues, questions, and insights that deepen your appreciation for these circular bread rolls. Examples include:

  • Exclusive interviews with local bagel makers and purveyors.

  • Breaking bagel news that you need to know.

  • Personal essays on bagels, which I promise you will be way cooler and more enjoyable than that sounds.

  • Mailbags, Q&As, and investigations about anything you need to know, bagel-wise.

  • Potential meet-ups at a local bagel place to get to know the community.

• The subscription costs $5 per month or $50 per year (what a deal!). That’s roughly the cost of one bagel with cream cheese in Seattle each month.

• If you’re an It’s a Shanda Super Fan, you can also join as a Founding Member; I’m suggesting $150 per year for that, but feel free to name your own price. All Founding Members will receive a personal email of appreciation from me and you’ll be helping to keep more of my bagel content available to all. 

• For the time being, I will not be putting any previous content behind the paywall. All prior reviews, essays, and other posts before this change will remain free to read.

Going back to 2000, I’ve written about a lot of topics on the internet over the years. I ran a movie review website. I ran a blog all about Syracuse University sports for a decade. I ran a blog about Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. I was the editor for a site dedicated to Seattle real estate and neighborhood news for four years. My current day job is being the managing editor of a sports media and sports commentary network. And now I write about bagels.

If there’s one throughline in all of those things, it’s that I did them because I was passionate about what I was writing. The ones I stuck with were the ones that fulfilled me and gave me the outlet to express myself in a fun and creative way. Not to mention, they gave me the opportunity to try and entertain people. And that’s exactly what drives me about It’s a Shanda.

That, and the chance to eat a lot of bagels.

Sincerely, thank you for your support and readership!

— Sean