Maurice Sendak

(1928- )

Maurice Sendak was born on June 10, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York. Sendak is a self-taught illustrator. At the age of 12, Sendak was influenced by Walt Disney’s film Fantasia, to become an illustrator for children. His illustrations were first published in a 1947 textbook entitled Atomics for the Millions. In 1948, he began working for F.A.O. Schwartz as a window dresser and continued there for four years while taking night classes at the New York Art Students League. In 1952, he had his first major success when he illustrated Ruth Krauss’ book, A Hole to Dig. His published works also include: Kenny’s Window (1956), Very Far Away (1957), and Higglety, Pigglety, Pop (1967).

Sendak is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963. He found international acclaim through the book’s portrayal of the dark and nightmarish aspects of children’s fantasy. Nevertheless, it was just these subjects which also made Sendak a subject of controversy in some areas. His 1970 book, In the Night Kitchen, has regularly been subjected to censorship for presenting pictures of a young boy running naked through the story. In a 2003 interview with NPR, Sendak discussed the book’s allusions to the Holocaust and his own Jewish heritage.

Sendak produced an animated TV production based on his work entitled Really Rosie, featuring Carole King, which was broadcast in 1975. While continuing to write and illustrate, Sendak began producing and designing performances. Incorporating much of the same imaginative design that had made his books so popular, Sendak put on a number of operas, including Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and Prokofiev’s “Love for Three Oranges”. In 1979, he adapted Where the Wild Things Are into a stage production, and in 1983 he designed an award-winning stage production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker for the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

In 1964, Sendak was awarded the American Library Association’s Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are. In 1970 he won the Hans Christian Anderson Award for children’s book illustration, and in 2003 he shared the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award with Christine Nostlinger, the first time it was awarded.

In 2009, Spike Jonze directed the live-action film adaptation of Sendak’s 1963 classic Where the Wild Things Are.

Sendak is gay and has never married, but lived with his partner, psychoanalyst Eugene Glynn, for 50 years until Dr. Glynn’s death in May 2007.

Sources: “Maurice Sendak (1928 - ).” American Jewish Historical Society, American Jewish Desk Reference, (NY: Random House, 1999). pg. 513-4.

Maurice Sendak: Wikipedia

Maurice Sendak: American Masters on PBS