Holmdel Author Inspired by Maurice Sendak
Holmdel childrens book author Joanne Kairys was inspired by the legendary illustrator and author, who died on Tuesday.
It hit me like a ton of bricks Tuesday afternoon, “Maurice Sendak dead at age 83.” The news broke through heavy chatter at a busy nearby store. Rarely do I ever hear TV in the background. But those few words pierced through. Why did they affect me so acutely? Much has been written about Sendak these last few days, especially praising his enormous influence on children’s literature. He turned the genre on its heels. Remember “Run Spot, Run?” Safe, predictable, compatible with mainstream social norms. Sendak fundamentally changed all of that with gritty, edgy storytelling. So, when I began illustrating my first children’s picture book a few years ago, I pulled just one item from my library shelves – Sendak’s, “Where the Wild Things Are.” …
