Mobile
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
News / Opinion An open letter to Maurice Sendak
Posted By Ana McKenzie on Tue, May 8, 2012 at 4:48 PM
Editor's note: Maurice Sendak, famed children's book author and illustrator, died today. He was 83. I have deep emotional ties to his work, so I decided to write an obituary. But during my research, I discovered that he didn't like the media - or much of anything, really. What he really loved were the letters children wrote him over the years. As a fan of his for more than 20, my letter is long overdue.
Dear Mr. Sendak,
I'm writing to you on the day you died, and I'm really sorry about that. I should have written to you years ago, when I still believed the monsters in "Where the Wild Things Are" were real and lived on a distant planet, like New York City.
I probably would have told you that I thought Max was really funny and one of my best friends (second only to Barbie). I would have told you that your monsters were scary and that I hated their yellow eyes, but none of that mattered because I still loved them with all my heart. I would have asked you to send me directions to the wild rumpus because it sounded like more fun than kindergarten. I probably would have told you that your name sounds funny and finished the letter with a crayon-scribbled "Ana" and, most likely, a drawing of my cat.
The original intent of this letter was to share some sappy story about how your work had a profound effect on my imagination. I wanted to talk about your successful career and personal life (even though you hated discussing both). I wanted to talk about the allegories, symbolism and metaphors in your work. Then I realized how boring being an adult is sometimes.
Thanks for all the books and for reminding the world not to take itself so seriously. That, I think, is all you ever wanted.
Sincerely,
Ana
Check out Stephen Colbert's hilarious interview with Sendak here and The New York Times' obit here.
Speaking of...
Latest in The CLog
More by Ana McKenzie
-
Bank errors continue to cause wrongful foreclosures
Charlotte's Bank of America is all mixed up in this mess.
-
5 Reasons To Buy Home Insurance Policy
-
Question the Queen City: The story of Nellie Freeman, aka 'Razor Girl' 2
She decapitated her husband, was declared innocent, and never hurt another soul.
