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by **David Bird** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:14 am

Maurice Sendak, Children’s Author Who Upended Tradition, Dies at 83
By MARGALIT FOX

Maurice Sendak, widely considered the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, who wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche, died on Tuesday in Danbury, Conn. He was 83 and lived in Ridgefield, Conn.

The cause was complications from a recent stroke, said Michael di Capua, his longtime editor.

more...

Well, that's a terrible way to start your morning. :cry:

by **Timbales** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:14 am

may he rest in peace

by **nietoperz** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:29 am

Oh no.

by **Rockman** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:40 am

that's sad

by **Victorian Squid** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:51 am

That's sad, but Terry Gross interviewed him recently, and he was very clear that he was putting his affairs in order and more or less at peace with it all.

by **Victorian Squid** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:55 am

Here's the interview, BTW:

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/20/140435330 ... aks-latest

by **Victorian Squid** » Tue May 08, 2012 9:59 am

"I have nothing now but praise for my life. I'm not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more. ... What I dread is the isolation. ... There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready."

--Maurice Sendak, January 2012

by **Chesscub** » Tue May 08, 2012 10:02 am

I hope he now resides where the wild things are. :-(

by **GLX** » Tue May 08, 2012 10:45 am

RIP.

by **sdsichero** » Tue May 08, 2012 11:49 am

Victorian Squid wrote:That's sad, but Terry Gross interviewed him recently, and he was very clear that he was putting his affairs in order and more or less at peace with it all.

Yeah that was a bittersweet interview. His appearance with Stephen Colbert was pretty fun though.

He will be missed. :cry:

May he rest in peace... or kickin' it in the wild rumpus...

by **achilles** » Tue May 08, 2012 1:08 pm

by **Eli Katz** » Tue May 08, 2012 1:16 pm

Rest in peace.

By the way, his somewhat recent interview with Colbert was amazing. A great curmudgeon with a brilliant imagination.

by **Herald** » Tue May 08, 2012 6:23 pm

I remember that he REALLY didn't like Disney's The Little Mermaid, largely because of Ariel's Seashell Bra. Now, THAT's an iconoclast! :-D

R.I.P., man.
This bowl of chicken soup with rice is dedicated to you!

by **ReturnoftheMack** » Tue May 08, 2012 8:31 pm

Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

— Maurice Sendak. RIP.