Great Throughts Treasury
This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Maurice Sendak, fully Maurice Bernard Sendak
American Writer and Illustrator of Children's Literature best known for Where the Wild Things are
"You can't get rid of evil. We can't, and I feel that so intensely. All the idiots that keep coming into the world and wrecking people's lives. And it is such an abundance of idiocy that you lose courage, okay? That you lose hope ? I don't want to lose hope. I get through every day ? I'm pretty good ? I work. I sleep. I sing. I walk. But, I'm losing hope."
"Yes, there have to be places for safe wonderful stories."
"You don't want to do something that's all terrifying."
"You get pushed and harassed and people grope you. It's too tumultuous, it's too crazy!"
"You know who my gods are, who I believe in fervently? Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson ? she's probably the top ? Mozart, Shakespeare, Keats. These are wonderful gods who have gotten me through the narrow straits of life."
"You can't write masterpieces in your 80s and be happy too."