Sendak in Newsweek

MsJudy

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Great interview in this week's Newsweek with Maurice Sendak, Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers. All kids' writers should definitely check it out!

My favorite quotes:

What makes a good kids' story?
Sendak: How would I know? I just write the books.

What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?
Sendak: I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate.
Because kids can handle it?
Sendak: If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants.


You know how sometimes, you have this image of who the author might be, and then you find out they're just some regular shmuck, and it feels sort of odd? Well, this time I can honestly say, I admire him even more now than I did before.
 

RLB

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That's fantastic. I'll have to check out the interview. I can't wait to see the movie; I get teary just watching the previews. (It was one of my favorite books as a kid.) I was surprised, however, when I started hearing that the film might not be suitable for young children!
 

AyJay

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In sixth grade, we had a class assignment to write a letter to our favorite author. I chose Maurice Sendak while most kids chose Charles Schultz (he was alive then). I got a typed postcard back in a couple of weeks thanking me for my letter and sharing a little bit about himself. I remember he had dogs named after Greek gods or Saturn's moons or both probably. I'm sure it was a form letter that he sent to all his fans, but it still felt pretty good to hear back and I tacked it up on my bulletin board. (Schultz never responded to anyone)
 

fringle

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My favorite quotes:

What makes a good kids' story?
Sendak: How would I know? I just write the books.

What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?
Sendak: I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate.
Because kids can handle it?
Sendak: If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants.

*snort* That's hilarious.
 

Hedgetrimmer

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I'm quite interested in seeing how they adapt 32 pages of really sparse text into a feature length movie. Of course the screenwriters have taken great liberty with the book, but still. That's a whole lot of stretching.
 

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Sendak's comments are kind of funny, but I wonder why anyone chose to make a movie based on Where the Wild Things Are, that according to the review I heard, isn't recommended for kids under 10. The book appeals to very young children and is commonly read to kindergarteners. So I think some parents being a bit annoyed by that should be understandable.

Either you don't know the movie is scary and you end up fleeing the theater with a wailing four-year-old, or you know it's too scary and you have to keep telling your little kid (who loves the book, which is aimed at his age group) that he can't see it.

Not blaming Sendak. Just sayin'.
 

MsJudy

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Well, the book is aimed at the very young, but it's pretty darn scary all by itself.

Sendak also talks about fighting with the publishers...They thought it was too dangerous for the soup to still be hot at the end of the book. They thought "warm" was better.

He's always been one to push the limits of what's "safe" enough for children, so it really shouldn't surprise anyone if the movie pushes that limit as well.
 

Wordwrestler

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Well, the book is aimed at the very young, but it's pretty darn scary all by itself.

Sendak also talks about fighting with the publishers...They thought it was too dangerous for the soup to still be hot at the end of the book. They thought "warm" was better.

He's always been one to push the limits of what's "safe" enough for children, so it really shouldn't surprise anyone if the movie pushes that limit as well.

Wow, I never saw the book that way. It seems like the tamest possible thing to me. I can't imagine thinking hot soup would scare kids.

I haven't seen the movie, so maybe it's no big deal either.
 

AyJay

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I saw the movie this weekend and thought it was really well done. It's about a boy (maybe 10 years old?) processing his parents' divorce. The "wild things" are aspects of his psyche - rage, shame, etc., and I found it fascinating. I didn't connect to the picture book on that level when I read it as a child, but I think that older children will probably get the movie. It's probably more scary for adults than kids actually. The out-of-control anger of Max and the wild things was hard to watch at times from the protective adult POV. The kid was clearly hurting and it was scary to think where his anger might lead.
 

sissybaby

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I just saw the movie this weekend with my just-turned-nine autistic son. It made me cry, and he said the ending nearly made him cry. But it was a wonderful way to show him how he's not the only one who doesn't understand his anger, and how it can hurt others.

I thought the movie was awesome, and that so often doesn't happen when they turn a book into film.