Maurice Sendak
“People say, ‘Oh, Mr. Sendak. I wish I were in touch with my childhood self, like you!’ As if it were all quaint and succulent, like Peter Pan. I say, ‘You are in touch, lady — you’re mean to your kids, you treat your husband like shit, you lie, you’re selfish … That is your childhood self!’
“In reality, childhood is deep and rich. It’s vital, mysterious, and profound. I remember my own childhood vividly. I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn’t let adults know I knew…
“It would scare them.”
“In reality, childhood is deep and rich. It’s vital, mysterious, and profound. I remember my own childhood vividly. I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn’t let adults know I knew…
“It would scare them.”
—Maurice Sendak, 1928-2012