I refuse to lie to children. I refuse to cater to the bullshit of innocence. - Maurice Sendak
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 conversation with Art Spiegelman, The New Yorker, September 27, 1993) - Maurice Sendak
Childhood is cannibals and psychotics vomiting in your mouth! - Maurice Sendak
I have nothing now but praise for my life. I'm not unhappy. I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more... - Maurice Sendak
Sendak is in search of what he calls a "yummy death". William Blake set the standard, jumping up from his death bed at the last minute to start singing. "A happy death," says Sendak. "It can be done." He lifts his eyebrows to two peaks. "If you're William Blake and totally crazy. - Maurice Sendak
There must be more to life than having everything. - Maurice Sendak
It is sometimes hard to be a family. - Maurice Sendak
The day after Paul Newman was dead, he was twice as dead. - Maurice Sendak
You cannot write for children. They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them. - Maurice Sendak
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
But the wild things cried, Oh please don’t go - we’ll eat you up - we love you so!And Max said, No!The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye. - Maurice Sendak
And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things. - Maurice Sendak