I don't write for children. I write, and somebody says, 'That's for children.' Maurice Sendak More Quotes by Maurice Sendak More Quotes From Maurice Sendak The day after Paul Newman was dead, he was twice as dead. Maurice Sendak newman Certainly we want to protect our children from new and painful experiences that are beyond their emotional comprehension and that intensify anxiety; and to a point we can prevent premature exposure to such experiences. Maurice Sendak painful-experiences emotional children You don't want to do something that's all terrifying. Maurice Sendak want There's something in this country that is so opposed to understanding the complexity of children. Maurice Sendak understanding country children Each month is gay, Each season nice, When eating Chicken soup With rice Maurice Sendak each-month gay nice I said anything I wanted because I don't believe in children I don't believe in childhood. I don't believe that there's a demarcation. 'Oh you mustn't tell them that. You mustn't tell them that.' You tell them anything you want. Just tell them if it's true. If it's true you tell them. Maurice Sendak childhood believe children There are certain pieces of music that are always attached to certain books. Maurice Sendak pieces certain book When I did 'Bumble-ardy,' I was so intensely aware of death. Eugene, my friend and partner, was dying here in the house when I did 'Bumble-ardy'. I did 'Bumble-ardy' to save myself. I did not want to die with him. I wanted to live, as any human being does. Maurice Sendak dying house doe Sendak is in search of what he calls a "yummy death". William Blake set the standard, jumping up from his death bed at the last minute to start singing. "A happy death," says Sendak. "It can be done." He lifts his eyebrows to two peaks. "If you're William Blake and totally crazy. Maurice Sendak yummy jumping crazy Most children - I know I did when I was a kid - fantasize another set of parents. Or fantasize no parents. They don't tell their real parents about that - you don't want to tell Mom and Dad. Kids lead a very private life. And I was a typical child, I think. I was a liar. Maurice Sendak dad mom children Illustrations have as much to say as the text. The trick is to say the same thing, but in a different way. It's no good being an illustrator who is saying a lot that is on his or her mind, if it has nothing to do with the text. . . the artist must override the story, but he must also override his own ego for the sake of the story. Maurice Sendak illustration ego artist Why is my needle stuck in childhood? I don't know why. I guess it's because that's where my heart is. Maurice Sendak stuck childhood heart If children are different from us, they are more spontaneous. Grown-up lives have become overlaid with dross. Maurice Sendak spontaneity different children Truthfullness to life-both fantasy life and factual life-is the basis of all great art. Maurice Sendak fantasy life-is art You can't get rid of evil. We can't, and I feel that so intensely. Maurice Sendak evil feels 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. Maurice Sendak water-lily beautiful book We're animals. We're violent. Maurice Sendak violent animal I never can satisfy some need in me to achieve something of incredible hight. For my sake. It puzzles me deeply. And it sours my life. So there is a permanent dissatisfaction. Maurice Sendak incredibles sake needs William Blake really is important, my cornerstone. Nobody ever told me before he did that childhood was such a damned serious business. Maurice Sendak serious-business childhood important I'm gay. I just didn't think it was anybody's business. Maurice Sendak gay thinking
