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44-533: Called Dobama’s Night Kitchen , the title inspired by the 1970 Maurice Sendak children’s book , began in Fall, 1995. David Hansen’s three-year tenure as artistic director of the Night Kitchen was dedicated to three models of production; the long-form improv, the collaboratively written script based around a single theme, and the new play written by a local (Cleveland-based) playwright. Dobama's Night Kitchen

88-559: A Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak . The major retrospective of over 130 pieces pulled from the museum's vast Sendak collection featured original artwork, rare sketches, never-before-seen working materials, and exclusive interview footage. Exhibition highlights included: Since the items had been on loan to the Rosenbach for decades, many in the museum world expected that the Sendak material would remain there. But Sendak's will specified that

132-418: A card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, 'Dear Jim: I loved your card.' Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said: 'Jim loved your card so much he ate it.' That to me was one of the highest compliments I've ever received. He didn't care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it. In 2012, School Library Journal identified Where

176-530: A children's book, his first in over thirty years, and ultimately his last published work before his death. Sendak mentioned in a September 2008 article in The New York Times that he was gay and had lived with his partner, psychoanalyst Eugene David Glynn (February 25, 1926 – May 15, 2007), for 50 years before Glynn's death in May 2007. Revealing that he never told his parents, he said, "All I wanted

220-572: A clinic which is to be named for Glynn. Sendak was an atheist . In a 2011 interview, he said that he did not believe in God and explained that he felt that religion, and belief in God, "must have made life much easier [for some religious friends of his]. It's harder for us non-believers." In the early 1960s, Sendak lived in a basement apartment at 29 West 9th Street in Greenwich Village where he wrote and illustrated "Wild Things." Later he had

264-403: A nearby pied-a-terre at 40 Fifth Avenue where he worked and stayed occasionally after moving full-time to Ridgefield, Connecticut . Maurice Sendak drew inspiration and influences from a vast number of painters, musicians, and authors. Going back to his childhood, one of his earliest memorable influences was actually his father, Philip Sendak. According to Maurice, his father related tales from

308-442: A source of joy and pleasure for him while growing up. He has been quoted as saying, "My gods are Herman Melville , Emily Dickinson , Mozart . I believe in them with all my heart." Elaborating further, he has stated that reading Emily Dickinson's works helps him to remain calm in an otherwise hectic world: "And I have a little tiny Emily Dickinson so big that I carry in my pocket everywhere. And you just read three poems of Emily. She

352-738: A substantially re-worked version of the Sendak-Kushner adaptation. In 2004, Sendak worked with the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra in Boston on their project Pincus and the Pig: A Klezmer Tale . This Klezmer version of Sergei Prokofiev 's best-known musical story for children, Peter and the Wolf , featured Maurice Sendak as the narrator. He also illustrated the cover art. In 2011, Sendak adapted his Sesame Street short Bumble Ardy into

396-457: A three-hour Little Bear marathon in his memory. The writer of the series Else Holmelund Minarik died herself only two months later on July 12, 2012, at the age of 91. His final book, Bumble-Ardy , was published eight months before his death. A posthumous picture book, titled My Brother's Book , was published in February 2013. The film Her was dedicated in memory of him and Where

440-407: Is so brave. She is so strong. She is such a passionate little woman. I feel better." Likewise, of Mozart, he has said, "When Mozart is playing in my room, I am in conjunction with something I can't explain. ... I don't need to. I know that if there's a purpose for life, it was for me to hear Mozart." Ursula Nordstrom , director of Harper's Department of Books for Boys and Girls from 1940 until 1973,

484-663: Is to Dig , published in 1952, which brought wide attention to his artwork. He illustrated the five original books in the Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik which were published between 1957 and 1968. Sendak gained international acclaim after writing and illustrating Where the Wild Things Are , edited by Ursula Nordstrom at Harper & Row . It features Max, a boy who "rages against his mother for being sent to bed without any supper". The book's depictions of fanged monsters concerned some parents when it

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528-627: The New York City Opera 's productions of Janáček 's The Cunning Little Vixen (1981), and Mozart's The Goose of Cairo (1984). Also in 1993, Sendak published a picture book, We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy . Later in the 1990s, Sendak approached playwright Tony Kushner to write a new English-language version of the Czech composer Hans Krása 's Holocaust opera Brundibár which, remarkably, had been performed by children in

572-523: The Theresienstadt concentration camp . Kushner wrote the text for Sendak's illustrated book of the same name, published in 2003. The book was named one of The New York Times Book Review ' s 10 Best Illustrated Books of 2003 . In 2003, Chicago Opera Theatre produced Sendak and Kushner's adaptation of Brundibár . In 2005, Berkeley Repertory Theatre , in collaboration with Yale Repertory Theatre and Broadway's New Victory Theater , produced

616-495: The Torah ; however, he would embellish them with racy details. Not realizing that this was inappropriate for children, young Maurice was frequently be sent home after retelling his father's "softcore Bible tales" at school. Maurice Sendak developed other influences growing up beginning with Walt Disney 's Fantasia and Mickey Mouse . Mickey Mouse was created in the year Sendak was born, 1928, and Sendak described Mickey as being

660-669: The University of Connecticut to house and steward the Collection. Under an agreement with, and supported by a grant from, the Foundation, Sendak's original artwork, sketches, books, and other materials (totaling close to 10,000 items) will be housed at UConn's Archives and Special Collections in the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center . UConn will also host exhibits of and digitize Sendak materials. The Foundation will retain ownership of

704-438: The 1950s. In 2011, Maurice was working on a book about noses, and he attributed his love of the olfactory organ to his brother Jack, who—in Sendak's opinion—had a great nose. Maurice was the youngest of three siblings. Jack was born five years before him and Natalie was born nine years before him. Maurice Sendak began his children's book career as an illustrator. His work appears in eight books by Ruth Krauss including A Hole

748-765: The National Board of Advisors of the Children's Television Workshop during the development stages of the Sesame Street television series. He created four animated stories for the series: Bumble Ardy , an animated sequence with Jim Henson as the voice of Bumble Ardy, Seven Monsters , Up & Down , and Broom Adventures . Sendak later adapted Seven Monsters into the book Seven Little Monsters , which itself would be adapted into an animated television series . Sendak produced an animated television production based on his work titled Really Rosie , featuring

792-484: The Night Kitchen , originally issued in 1970, has often been subjected to censorship for its drawings of a young boy prancing naked through the story. The book has been challenged in several U.S. states including Illinois , New Jersey , Minnesota , and Texas . In the Night Kitchen regularly appears on the American Library Association's list of "frequently challenged and banned books". It

836-525: The U.S. Army during the Second World War and later worked for Emerson Radio and Television. He credited his father with inspiring his storytelling talent through his regular bedtime folk tales. Two of his books, Circus Girl (1957) and The Happy Rain (1956), were illustrated by his brother, Maurice. Two other books were illustrated by Mitchell Miller Jr. (b.1947), son of popular conductor Mitch Miller , whom Maurice Sendak described as "one of

880-545: The Wild Things Are co-star James Gandolfini . The film was directed by Spike Jonze , who also directed the 2009 feature film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are . In 1968, Sendak lent the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia , the bulk of his work including nearly 10,000 works of art, manuscripts, books, and ephemera. From May 6, 2008, through May 3, 2009, the Rosenbach presented There's

924-414: The Wild Things Are as its top picture book based on reader surveys. The librarian who conducted it observed that there was little doubt what would be voted number one and highlighted its designation by one reader as a watershed, "ushering in the modern age of picture books". Another called it "perfectly crafted, perfectly illustrated ... simply the epitome of a picture book" and noted that Sendak "rises above

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968-413: The artistic directorship of Adrienne Moon . During these four years, when the project was called simply "The Night Kitchen", emphasis shifted away from experimental, new works by local theater artists, to works new to Cleveland by up and coming young playwrights like Stephen Belber ( Tape , The Death of Frank .) In its present incarnation, Dobama's Night Kitchen exists in name-only, to annually present

1012-595: The award-winning (1983) Pacific Northwest Ballet production of Tchaikovsky 's The Nutcracker , Glyndebourne Festival Opera's productions of Prokofiev 's The Love for Three Oranges (1982), Ravel 's L'enfant et les sortilèges and L'heure espagnole (1987) and Oliver Knussen 's adaptation of Sendak's own Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life (1985), Houston Grand Opera 's productions of Mozart 's The Magic Flute (1981) and Humperdinck 's Hansel and Gretel (1997), Los Angeles County Music Center's 1990 production of Mozart's Idomeneo , and

1056-489: The award-winning plays written by high school students for the Marilyn Bianchi Kids' Playwriting Festival . Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak ( / ˈ s ɛ n d æ k / ; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He was best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are , first published in 1963. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood

1100-504: The cusp of the 125th anniversary of the Brooklyn Public Library it was revealed on November 16, 2022 that the most checked-out book in the collection was Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are . Notes Jack Sendak Jack Sendak (July 20, 1923 – February 3, 1995) was an American children's literature author . He was the brother of Maurice Sendak and the son of Philip Sendak . Sendak served in

1144-564: The drawings and most of the loans would remain the property of the Maurice Sendak Foundation. In 2014, representatives of his estate withdrew the works, saying they intended to follow Sendak's directive in his will to create "a museum or similar facility" in Ridgefield, Connecticut , where he lived, and where his foundation is based, "to be used by scholars, students, artists, illustrators and writers, and to be opened to

1188-489: The general public" as the foundation's directors saw fit. The Rosenbach filed an action in 2014, in state probate court in Connecticut, contending that the estate had kept many rare books that Sendak had pledged to the library in his will. In a ruling in Connecticut probate court, a judge awarded the bulk of the disputed book collection to the Sendak estate, not to the museum. In 2018, the Maurice Sendak Foundation chose

1232-468: The magic of the quest. In the end, she rescues her sister, destroys the goblins, and returns home committed to caring for her sister until her father returns. This rescue story includes an illustration of a ladder leaning out of the window of a home, which according to one report, was based on the crime scene in the Lindbergh kidnapping , "which terrified Sendak as a child." Sendak was an early member of

1276-442: The materials. Internationally, Sendak received the third biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in 1970, recognizing his "lasting contribution to children's literature". He received one of two inaugural Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards in 2003, recognizing his career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense". The citation called him "the modern picture-book's portal figure" and

1320-514: The presentation credited Where the Wild Things Are with "all at once [revolutionizing] the entire picture-book narrative ... thematically, aesthetically, and psychologically." In the U.S., he received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the professional children's librarians in 1983, recognizing his "substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature". At the time it was awarded every three years. Only Sendak and

1364-762: The previous trend of collaboratively written scripts, singly authored scripts by local playwrights and long-form improv. Highlights included Toni K. Thayer's Angst:84 (which was taken to the New York Fringe Festival ), LUV(SIC) , and the Soap Scum improvised soap opera series. Kilbane also began to introduce works not created by Cleveland-based playwrights, starting with Stupid Kids in 1999 and Mark Ravenhill’s Shopping and Fucking in Spring, 2002, shortly before he concluded his four years as artistic director. The project continued through 2006 under

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1408-570: The rest in part because he is subversive." When Sendak saw a manuscript of Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories , the first children's book by Isaac Bashevis Singer , on the desk of an editor at Harper & Row, he offered to illustrate the book. It was first published in 1966 and received a Newbery Honor . Sendak was delighted and enthusiastic about the collaboration. He once wryly remarked that his parents were "finally" impressed by their youngest child when he collaborated with Singer. His book In

1452-453: The show Sendak taught Colbert how to illustrate and provide a book blurb for Colbert's own children's book, I Am a Pole (And So Can You!) , and the day Sendak died was the book's official release date. The 2012 season of Pacific Northwest Ballet 's The Nutcracker , for which Sendak designed the set and costumes, was dedicated to his memory. On May 12, 2012, the Nick Jr. Channel hosted

1496-487: The voice of Carole King , which was broadcast in 1975 and is available on video (usually as part of video compilations of his work). An album of the songs was also produced. He contributed the opening segment to Simple Gifts , a Christmas collection of six animated shorts shown on PBS in 1977 and later released on VHS in 1993. He adapted his book Where the Wild Things Are for the stage in 1979. Additionally, he designed sets and costumes for many operas and ballets, including

1540-584: The writer Katherine Paterson have won all three of these premier awards. Sendak has two elementary schools named in his honor, one in North Hollywood, California , and PS 118 in Brooklyn, New York. He received an honorary doctorate from Princeton University in 1984. On June 10, 2013, Google featured an interactive doodle where visitors could click on the video go triangle to see an animated movie-ette of Max and Sendak's other main characters. On

1584-641: Was 20 years old, was creating window displays for the toy store FAO Schwarz . His illustrations were first published in 1947 in a textbook titled Atomics for the Millions by Maxwell Leigh Eidinoff. He spent much of the 1950s illustrating children's books written by others before beginning to write his own stories. The Maurice Sendak Foundation credited editor Ursula Nordstrom and authors Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson as people who mentored Sendak. His older brother Jack Sendak also became an author of children's books, two of which were illustrated by Maurice in

1628-491: Was a "terrible situation" due to the death of members of his extended family during the Holocaust which introduced him at a young age to the concept of mortality. His love of books began when, as a child, he developed health issues and was confined to his bed. When he was 12 years old, he decided to become an illustrator after watching Walt Disney 's film Fantasia . One of Sendak's first professional commissions, when he

1672-557: Was also an inspiration for Sendak. Sendak died at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut on May 8, 2012, at age 83, due to complications from a stroke. In accordance with his wishes, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at an undisclosed location. Sendak's obituary in The New York Times said that he was "the most important children's book artist of the 20th century." Author Neil Gaiman remarked, "He

1716-471: Was first published, as his characters were somewhat grotesque in appearance. Sendak initially considered the title "Where the Wild Horses Are" but then decided against it. Sendak later recounted the reaction of a fan: A little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children's letters–sometimes very hastily–but this one I lingered over. I sent him

1760-486: Was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust . Sendak wrote books including In the Night Kitchen , Outside Over There , and illustrated many works by other authors such as the Little Bear books by Else Holmelund Minarik . Sendak was born in Brooklyn , New York , to Polish Jewish immigrants Sadie (née Schindler) and Philip Sendak , a dressmaker. Maurice said that his childhood

1804-484: Was listed number 21 on the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999". His 1981 book Outside Over There is the story of a girl named Ida and her sibling jealousy and responsibility. Her father is away, so Ida is left to watch her baby sister, much to her dismay. Her sister is kidnapped by goblins and Ida must go off on a magical adventure to rescue her. At first, she is not really eager to get her sister and nearly passes right by her when she becomes absorbed in

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1848-562: Was the first Cleveland area theater to present long-form improv. These included the MTV inspired The Realistic World and the X-Files inspired One Step Beyond . In 1997 Hansen produced his own play, The Vampyres . Dobama's Night Kitchen also produced the first solo performance by Sarah Morton , The Eighth Wonder of the World . In 1998 Dan Kilbane took over as artistic director and continued

1892-513: Was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew." Sendak's relationship with Glynn was referenced by other writers before (including Tony Kushner in 2003) and Glynn's 2007 death notice identified Sendak as his "partner of fifty years". After his partner's death, Sendak donated $ 1 million to the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services in memory of Glynn, who treated young people there. The money will go to

1936-419: Was unique, grumpy, brilliant, wise, magical and made the world better by creating art in it." Author R. L. Stine called Sendak's death "a sad day in children's books and for the world." Comedian Stephen Colbert , who interviewed Sendak on The Colbert Report in one of his last public appearances said of Sendak: "We are all honored to have been briefly invited into his world." On a January 2012 episode of

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