Not so sad-this incredible person died of old age (86) the way we all should go. More elated thinking about what he achieved during his lifetime. Where The Wild Things Are is literature at it's finest. Timeless.

Anonymous wrote:If you're in the mood for a good cry, listen to this interview he did on Fresh Air last fall. It's really honest and beautiful -- especially towards the end.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/29/144077273/maurice-sendak-on-life-death-and-childrens-lit

Even better - Today Terry Gross played excerpts from this interview and three others that she did with him over time. All four interviews are moving - all show a portrait of a man whose life was affected deeply by death. See this link: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/08/152248901/fresh-air-remembers-author-maurice-sendak

Love this quote...

"I would infinitely prefer a daughter. If I had a son, I would leave him at the A&P or some other big advertising place where somebody who needs a kid would find him and he would be all right. ... A daughter would be drawn to me. A daughter would want to help me. Girls are infinitely more complicated than boys and women more than men. And there's no doubt about that. We just don't like to think about it. Certainly the men don't like to think about it. I have lived my whole life with a dream daughter."

.

RIP

“But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go - we’ll eat you up - we love you so!”
And Max said, “No!”
The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye.”
? Maurice Sendak

Thanks, PP, for the link!

I remember Where the Wild Things Are from when I was little. It scared me then, but I appreciate it as a wonderful book now.

So sad that Sendak has passed. What a loss.

Very sad.

Thanks for that link that was great.

Here's a link to the Colbert interview:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/406796/january-24-2012/grim-colberty-tales-with-maurice-sendak-pt--1

His Colbert interview was one of the best. Never have I seen such an unabashed curmudgeon.

If you're in the mood for a good cry, listen to this interview he did on Fresh Air last fall. It's really honest and beautiful -- especially towards the end.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/29/144077273/maurice-sendak-on-life-death-and-childrens-lit

Oh sad!

May there be a wild rumpus awaiting him.