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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMay 8th, 2012
Maurice Sendak, who The New York Times calls “the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century,” has died today in Danbury, Connecticut at the age of 83 from complications from a recent stroke. From The Times’s obituary:
Roundly praised, intermittently censored and occasionally eaten, Mr. Sendak’s books were essential ingredients of childhood for the generation born after 1960 or thereabouts, and in turn for their children. He was known in particular for more than a dozen picture books he wrote and illustrated himself, most famously “Where the Wild Things Are
,” which was simultaneously genre-breaking and career-making when it was published by Harper & Row in 1963.
In Sepember, HarperCollins published Sendak’s Bumble-Ardy
Was there anything he had never been asked? He paused for a few moments and answered, ‘Well, that I’m gay…I just didn’t think it was anybody’s business,’ Mr. Sendak added. He lived with Eugene Glynn, a psychoanalyst, for 50 years before Dr. Glynn’s death in May 2007. He never told his parents: ‘All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew.’ Children protect their parents, Mr. Sendak said. …A gay artist in New York is not exactly uncommon, but Mr. Sendak said that the idea of a gay man writing children books would have hurt his career when he was in his 20s and 30s.”
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Regan DuCasse
May 8th, 2012
My favorite was “In The Night Kitchen.”
There is nothing so wonderfully spooky as ordinary places and things having another life, after dark.
“The Phantom Tollbooth” is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary.
That’s another children’s book considered a bit subversive, but whose wild success surprised it’s critics.
RIP, Mr. Sendak.
And wherever you are, LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!
Lindoro Almaviva
May 8th, 2012
Sendak was also an accomplished set designer, with several opera sets under his belt. My favorite one was his production for Humperdink’s Hansel and Gretel. It was telecast on PBS many years ago and around the time I was lucky to have the show here in indy and I went to see it. Just beautiful.
You can see some of it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuON4kLu9F4
Thank you Maestro
Charles
May 8th, 2012
All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew.’ Children protect their parents, Mr. Sendak said. …A gay artist in New York is not exactly uncommon, but Mr. Sendak said that the idea of a gay man writing children books would have hurt his career when he was in his 20s and 30s.†– My guess is his parents knew that he was gay. And, he is right about that being out in his 20s and 30s would have hurt his career. It would have probably ended it. I am amazed that some groups in 2007 did not review his children’s books for hidden gay messages. Some probably did. for all I know.
AlexH
May 8th, 2012
Gay or not, Sendak’s work speaks to children (and adults) of all stripes and persuasions. My favorite story is “Chicken Soup With Rice,” especially after seeing it set to music by Carol King and animated when I was in the second grade.
Luckily for me, Scholastic put this on DVD along with the “Where The Wild Things Are,” so I can watch it all the time.
RIP, Mr. Sendak, and like Regan DuCasse wrote above ^^LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!
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