Remembering Maurice Sendak
January 3, 2013
I am reminded how much I appreciate blogging when a post brings to my attention something truly valuable that I would have otherwise overlooked. I felt that way when I read today’s post by Sally Schneider at the Improvised Life blog, which includes a year-end video clip from The New York Times called “An Illustrated Talk with Maurice Sendak.”
I urge you all to take a few minutes to watch the video clip and listen to Sendak’s words. You will be touched.
I was working for an independent children’s book publisher in Minneapolis in 1980 when The Art of Maurice Sendak by Selma G. Lanes was published by Harry N. Abrams. I bought the book for $40, a large purchase for me in those days. But I never regretted it, such a meaty biography of one of my favorite children’s book illustrators with 261 illustrations, including 94 plates in full color and an original Sendak pop-up of Red Riding Hood. I still cherish it. I suppose that now it is a collector’s item.
Signed plate inside my book
Rosemary's Blog 
January 3, 2013 at 10:46 am
I came to appreciate Sendak very late. But maybe he came to me when it was time, don’t know.
This interview is precious. And I truly believe this kind of human being is vanishing before our eyes.
January 3, 2013 at 8:44 pm
I’d never heard of Sendak before I began blogging. I don’t think I even knew of Dr. Seuss until I was well out of childhood – probably when “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” began showing up on TV. And I missed Shel Silverstein, too.
I remember seeing “Fantasia” in a movie theater, but most of my books were either of the “Pokey Little Puppy” variety, or part of a children’s series my folks bought one volume at a time: “Treasure Island”, “Heidi”, and so on. And of course the Bobbsey Twins.
Which is a long way around to say I’m glad I finally found Sendak. He was a marvel, and a long way from “Dick and Jane”.