Maurice Sendak Died Today

From E! Online:

Maurice Sendak, the seminal children’s book author and arist whose most famous work, Where the Wild Things Are, is considered a cornerstone of the genre, has died. He was 83.

Sendak died on Tuesday in Danbury, Conn., after suffering a stroke on Friday, according to friend and caretaker Lynn Caponera.

Sendak, who is celebrated as one of the most essential children’s book illustrators of the 20th century, was revered for his keen ability to tap into dark and angsty elements of childhood in works like In the Night Kitchen and Where the Wild Things Are.

The latter book earned him the 1964 Caldecott Medal for best children’s book and, 45 years later, was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie by director Spike Jonze.

Sendak, who was born in Brooklyn to Jewish-Polish immigrant parents, moved to Ridgfield, Conn., in the the 1960s, where he did most of his writing and illustrating.

Sendak also dabbled in stage work, creating costumes for various operas and ballets. He leaves behind a legacy of over a dozen children’s books, as well as generations of adoring fans.

To quote one of my friends on Facebook who so fittingly quoted Where The Wild Things Are, “please don’t go. We’ll eat you up. We love you so.” Maurice Sendak was an amazingly talented, smart, funny man, and he will definitely be missed.

Can wonderful people please stop dying now?