There I was, reading a book about black holes, and I got drawn in. Then I read a book about mazes, and got lost in it. To snap out of it, I began writing poetry, but that's best left for the prose. I then visited the world's biggest library, but they were overbooked.
So I set out to write my 13th book - my 6th haggadah! - and that was the answer. It felt anti-gravitational: impossible to put down - until I was done. Becoming an author has been a write of passage.
A quarter-score and one year ago, I created The Emoji Haggadah.
V years ago, I produced The Festivus Haggadah.
0101 years ago, I coughed out The Coronavirus Haggadah.
√4 years ago, I wrought The Shakespeare Haggadah.
Last year, I lightsabered This Haggadah is the Way: A Star Wars Unofficial Passover Parody.
And now, drumroll, I kid you not with The Dad Jokes Haggadah.
This Passover, if you have plans to read a book on sinkholes, they might fall through. Or maybe you want to sink your teeth into a vampire story. Or if you're thinking of borrowing a ton of library books, you might overdue it. I recommend this new one. For the first time, it's for the whole family.
I've spent two years all over the book talk/zoom talk/podcast map bringing Zaidy's War to the public in shuls/schools/JCCs/institutions/cyberspace (Up next: libraries all over NJ/NY/CT), and my haggadot want a turn. Reach out if you'd like to bring me in. My gig last year at the YU Seforim Sale was amazing.
As for my new haggadah, I shoehorned, crammed, wedged, jimmied, embedded, wrangled, and squished every pun I could find that was relevant to the haggadah text. 652 in total. At least 623 are fall-down funny, the rest you can debate about at the seder if you find yourself not laughing.
But laugh you will. Why? Because I think it's funny. How funny is this book?:
Like mountains, because they're hill areas.
Like employed people, because they work.
Like nitrous oxide, because it's a laughing matter.
Like video games, because it works on all levels.
Like Communism, because everyone gets them.
I think I crossed a line with that one. LMK.
Oh, and if you have ideas for my next haggadah, let me know what those are, because like a graphiteless pencil, I'm drawing a blank.
Speaking of which, a big thanks to Dave Cowen for allowing me to catch up to him on the Most Haggadot Ever Published leaderboard, before he inevitably pulls ahead. This is why I'm asking you for ideas.
Happy early Passover! Way early! So early, I wish you a Happy Festivus. Oh man, I have to order matzah...
Stay true to yourshelf.
-Martin (Mordechi) Bodek
P.S. Like a retiring librarian, I'm starting a new chapter. I'll push my new book like crazy, but I've begun work on the next one, a "spin-off" of sorts from Zaidy's War. I'm going to need considerable help with it, so stay tuned. LIke a thesaurus, I'm never at a loss for words.