John on the DRAWN! illustration blog writes:
There’s a delightful interview with Maurice Sendak on NPR’s website. He talks about his love of the nighttime, of scaring children, of mischief, and of Mickey Mouse (who he now calls “a fat whore”). In the interview he explains how he was discovered by Ruth Krauss (author, and wife of Crockett Johnson) before Where the Wild Things Are became a sensation, and how they helped shape him as a childrens’ author and illustrator. His secret? Don’t write for children – write about what delights you.
Link to NPR interview. Above: a detail from In the Night Kitchen, which has always been, and will always be, one of my favorite books. (Thanks, Scott De Las Casas! Thanks for turning me on to Maurice Sendak when I was a child, Mom! )
Reader comment: Gregory Kelly says,
Sendak also did an interview on the PBS television program NOW: Link. It is dark and focuses more on a book he collaborated on with Tony Kushner.