Bringing the Wild Things Here -- Thoughts on Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak, wonderful as both writer and illustrator, passed away this week at the age of 83. Below are some random thoughts on this, well, irascible individual.

When my brother and I were about 6 and 8 respectively, we had a conversation about Where the Wild Things Are. He thought it would be great to go to the land of the Wild Things, but I wanted to bring them here. Why? I thought that's where the chaos is. If the monsters came here, then this would become the crazy world. I liked the idea, even if I couldn't say so then, of bringing imagination here rather than relegating it to somewhere out "there."

In many ways, I think it appealed to Maurice Sendak, too. He liked to explore the darker recesses of his childhood, and in so doing, upset the staid parents of my parent's generation. He could be controversial, even objectionable, in words and images, like in Where the Wild Things Are or In the Night Kitchen. He could be philosophical in works like Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More to Life.  He encouraged me to do be daring and irreverent in a way safer choices (including Little Bear) could not.

I have a beach towel that I received years ago at a PBS convention in Miami. It has the Seven Little Monsters and The Berenstain Bears on it. It's fraying around the edges and isn't a bright white anymore, but I hang onto it because it has a connection to children's literature and two author/illustrators I grew up on. Sendak's work had a bigger influence on me, away from the safety of family life and friendly messages, but looking back now, they were written for two different audiences with two very different purposes.

Now that we've lost Jan Bearenstain and Maurice Sendak within months of each other, maybe it's time to retire that beach towel before it's a dingy rag that disgraces both their works.

I don't share Sendak's disregard for children's literature today. It can be deeply philosophical with artwork that pops off the page. I wonder if he could ever spot the writers and illustrators -- but particularly the writers -- that he influenced?

Sometimes the influences are easy to see and sometimes you hope they're there. That your work stands the test of time. I know it will be around at least one more generation. On the day he died, I asked my 8-year-old son, "Which would you prefer? To go to the land of the Wild Things or have them come here?"

His answer: "Have them come here."

I smiled. I think Sendak has another generation of monsters waiting to create a little inventive chaos.

If you have a Maurice Sendak story or memory, share it below...