Maurice Sendak - Where the Wild Things Are (1963)

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"And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"

Maurice Sendak
Then all around from far away across the world he smelled good things to eat so he gave up being king of where the wild things are.

Maurice Sendak
Certainly we want to protect our children from new and painful experiences that are beyond their emotional comprehension and that intensify anxiety; and to a point we can prevent premature exposure to such experiences. That is obvious. But what is just as obvious — and what is too often overlooked — is the fact that from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.

Maurice Sendak
And when he came to the place where the wild things are, they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws till Max said, "Be still" and tamed them with the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once. And they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all and made him king of all wild things.

Maurice Sendak
And Max, the king of all Wild Things, was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.

Maurice Sendak
I was talking about kids I knew and me. A book, an American book, where the child actually daunts his mother and threatens her.
No way. No way. And then on top of that, she puts him in a room and denies him food. No way. Mamas never do that kinda thing. Kids never get pissed at their parents. Unheard of. And the worst offense, he comes home. She leaves food for him. And he's not punished. Not punished.

Maurice Sendak
Please don't go. We'll eat you up. We love you so.

Maurice Sendak
I'm gay. I just didn't think it was anybody's business … All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy. They never, never, never knew.

Maurice Sendak