Desperate Wonder

Terry Gross of NPR interviewed Maurice Sendak this year, and it got the most email responses of any interview she did in 2011.  It's not hard to see why if you listen to the audio on this link:

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=144077273&m=144381898

Mr. Sendak wrote Where the Wild Things Are, and he recently published a book called Bumble-ardy.  Both books are, I'm sure, masterpieces, though I haven't been able to get my hands on Bumble-ardy yet.  More importantly, Mr. Sendak is getting older, and his responses to Ms. Gross's questions display his desperate wonder at the process of aging and losing those close to him, while also continuing to live and produce art.  The interview is poignant and insightful.  Highly recommended.