Four Torches (Out of Five)
If Maurice Sendak didn’t really exist, some writer would’ve had to invent him.
Sendak, who is openly gay, had a miserable childhood, still hates his parents, never wanted children himself, and is obsessed with death.
He’s also the writer and illustrator of perhaps the world’s most famous (and also possibly the best) picture book, 1964’s Where the Wild Things Are, as well as a number of critically acclaimed (and sometimes very controversial) books for children.
He’s also now the subject of a short new HBO documentary, Tell Them Anything You Want, directed by Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze (Jonze is the director of a highly anticipated upcoming film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, coming later this week).
Tell Them Anything You Want is a modest film. It seems to be just Bangs and Jonze with a hand-held video camera in Sendak’s house, asking him questions about his life and his career.
It’s also pretty damn fascinating.
Be forewarned: Sendak is a very dark man who has lived a very sad life. At first, it’s hard to know what to make of this bitter, sometimes unbalanced old man. But the more he talks, the more you realize how perfectly equipped he was to revolutionize the field of children’s literature.
According to Sendak, Wild Things, with its less-than-perfect mother and negative emotions, initially got terrible reviews and was frequently banned. And even Sendak admits, he wasn’t the “best” artist.
But kids absolutely loved the book — so much so that adults could not deny its incredible power. The secret, Sendak says, is that he was willing to say things that other children’s authors would not: he was willing to tell children the truth.
“I don’t believe in childhood,” he says at one point when discussing his belief that there are no subjects that should be “off-limits” to children, but also clearly speaking of his own early loss of innocence. “Tell [children] anything you want, as long as it’s true.”
This HBO documentary is a fascinating portrait of a fascinating man.
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I see Where the Wild Things Are as more of an art film than a children’s film.
Can’t wait to see the documentary, he sounds like a fascinating old curmudgeon.
However I have to at least put in a good word for MY favourite childrens book of all time called “The Little Mole Who Knew That It Was None Of His Business”. It’s the hilarious story of a little blind mole who comes out of his hole because someone has deposited a little pile of pooh on his head. He goes around the whole barnyard asking all the animals to provide a sample of their pooh (complete with onomatopoeic sound effects). the whole time the pooh is still on HUIS head. Eventaully the fly tastes the pooh on his head and fingers the dog, so the little mole climbs onto the kennel and depsoits a little mole pooh on the sleeping dog’s head.
I’m fairy god-father to any number of little people, and when they get to the right age I introduce them to the little mole and give them all their very own copy (so far I’ve bought it about 10 times for various children) - and I own my very own copy as well, and when I’m feeling down I read it and smile at the determined little mole stomping round with a turd on his head demanding stool samples from all and sundry.