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The wild things of Max's imagination were based on Sendak's own relatives. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Polish Jewish immigrant parents and was aware, in his early teens, of the death of much of his extended family in the Holocaust. The terrors of his childhood specifically, and childhood more generally, flow through his work. "I refuse to lie to children," he said in an interview with the Guardian last year. "I refuse to cater to the bullshit of innocence."
Sendak also said that the term "children's illustrator" annoyed him, since it seems to belittle his talent. "I have to accept my role. I will never kill myself like Vincent Van Gogh. Nor will I paint beautiful water lilies like Monet. I can't do that. I'm in the idiot role of being a kiddie book person," he said.
"I refuse to lie to children," is probably the best kids'-author manifesto statement ever.
I disagree, but that's cool. As was his work.
Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy. - Spider Robinson
cranky laowai wrote:The author and artist Maurice Sendak has just died at the age of 83.
What an awesome artist that chap was! As was that quote about not lying to children, who are often far smarter than adults will ever be, afore they get "socialized". RIP.