I do not remember any proper children's books in my childhood. I was not exposed to them. Maurice Sendak More Quotes by Maurice Sendak More Quotes From Maurice Sendak I'm totally crazy, I know that. I don't say that to be a smartass, but I know that that's the very essence of what makes my work good. And I know my work is good. Not everybody likes it, that's fine. I don't do it for everybody. Or anybody. I do it because I can't not do it. Maurice Sendak likescrazyessence As a child, I felt that books were holy objects, to be caressed, rapturously sniffed, and devotedly provided for. I gave my life to them. I still do. I continue to do what I did as a child; dream of books, make books and collect books. Maurice Sendak dreambookchildren It's only adults who read the top layers most of the time. I think children read the internal meanings of everything. Maurice Sendak adultschildrenthinking And [he] sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him and it was still hot Maurice Sendak waitingnightyears I believe there is no part of our lives, our adult as well as child life, when we're not fantasizing, but we prefer to relegate fantasy to children, as though it were some tomfoolery only fit for the immature minds of the young. Children do live in fantasy and reality; they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember how to do. Maurice Sendak believechildrenmoving A book is really like a lover. It arranges itself in your life in a way that is beautiful. Maurice Sendak beautyinspirationalfunny I don't write for children. I write, and somebody says, 'That's for children.' Maurice Sendak writingchildren I’m not Hans Christian Andersen. Nobody’s gonna make a statue in the park with a lot of scrambling kids climbing up me. I won’t have it, okay? Maurice Sendak climbingchristiankids Children are tough, though we tend to think of them as fragile. They have to be tough. Childhood is not easy. We sentimentalize children, but they know what's real and what's not. They understand metaphor and symbol. If children are different from us, they are more spontaneous. Grown-up lives have become overlaid with dross. Maurice Sendak realchildrenthinking I hate [ebooks]. It's like making believe there's another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of book! A book is a book is a book. Maurice Sendak hatebelievesex From their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things. Maurice Sendak frustrationmeanchildren Children surviving childhood is my obsessive theme and my life's concern. Maurice Sendak themechildhoodchildren You know who my gods are, who I believe in fervently? Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson - she's probably the top - Mozart, Shakespeare, Keats. These are wonderful gods who have gotten me through the narrow straits of life. Maurice Sendak melvillewonderfulbelieve Knowledge is the driving force that puts creative passion to work. Maurice Sendak drivingpassioncreative Peter Rabbit, for all its gentle tininess, loudly proclaims that no story is worth the writing, no picture worth the making, if it is not a work of imagination. Maurice Sendak imaginationrabbitswriting I refuse to cater to the bullshit of innocence. Maurice Sendak innocencebullshitrefuse That's what art is. You don't make up stories. You live your life. Maurice Sendak live-your-lifestoriesart I can't believe I've turned into a typical old man. I can't believe it. I was young just minutes ago. Maurice Sendak typicalmenbelieve Then from far away across the world he smelled good things to eat, so he gave up being king of the wild things. Maurice Sendak kingsfoodworld Kids books Grownup books That's just marketing. Books are books. Maurice Sendak marketingkidsbook
