Maurice Sendak Want Quotations

When I did 'Bumble-ardy,' I was so intensely aware of death. Eugene, my friend and partner, was dying here in the house when I did 'Bumble-ardy'. I did 'Bumble-ardy' to save myself. I did not want to die with him. I wanted to live, as any human being does.

I want to see me to the end working, living for myself. Ripeness is all.

It is such an abundance of idiocy that you lose courage. 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.

There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen

I mean, being a child was being a child, was being a creature without power, without pocket money, without escape routes of any kind. So I didn't want to be a child.

You don't want to do something that's all terrifying.

We all want to be renewed, don't we?

You can start making up any kind of story if you want to.

I don't want to lose hope.