From Maggie to Janet (Sendak observation)

This envelope inspired me to do a search on the blog of all of Maggie's envelopes and find the oldest one. The oldest one I could find was in 2015. Maggie's pointed pen work is more refined these days - as one would expect. In my search, I got seriously side-tracked by a couple things. Back in 2015, the exchanges had not yet settled into the predictable schedule. And there was a whole long string of re-runs. I had no memory of ever re-running past favorites. I'd still like to figure out a way to have collections and categories.

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This is not a rant - it is a topic of discussion. A topic that is near and dear to my heart. 

The morning after I posted the envelope with the Maurice Sendak character, I found this comment in my inbox. Comments come to me to OK before I post them. Since most people do not backtrack to look for comments, I'm running the comment so that we can ponder art and anxiety. I had written that there was a character on the envelope that looked like a Maurice Sendak character. Which prompted this comment:

"Looks like a Maurice Sendak character."  
[reels back in shock, and is unable to respond for several seconds]
You don't recognize MAX? Jean! It's MAX. From WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, possibly the most perfect picture book ever written!
[breathing...breathing...]
I'm okay. I'm okay.

I love hearing from readers and this comment made me laugh out loud. 

How could Jean not recognize Max? 

Brace yourself -- do not be drinking a beverage when you read the next line.

Because the Wilson's never had any Sendak books and she's never read the book.

How could that be?

Published in 1963, I was too old to have read it as a kid.

I recall hearing about Where the Wild Things Are when I was in college.

I was impressionable - and a person who had a huge influence on me described the artwork as claustrophobic. I don't think it is a coincidence that I agreed when I eventually saw Sendak's art.

As we all know, I am more comfortable with white space. If I were to choose favorite children's books, they would include Roald Dahl with the wispy Quinton Blake drawings and The Snowman - which had no white space, but, it is very soft and open.

I will make point a of finding the book, Where the Wild Things Are - and read it -- and I imagine I will enjoy it.

Another very popular book, (often No 1 on top ten lists) Goodnight Moon, is one that we had and I was happy to read it - but the artwork always bothered me. (Often No 2) Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar - love it and love-love-love all of his stuff. Wild Things is often No 3. 

I think it is fun to look at the artwork that we were attracted to as a kid and see how it sticks with us.

The only picture books that I recall from my childhood (that we owned) were the Little Golden Books. I loved the images and many of them are etched in my brain. They are all very soft and non-threatening. The library books that I would check out over and over were all books with simple drawings on white backgrounds. Madeline, Jeanne Marie, Babar. Although Babar might have had backgrounds.

I remember that every time my mom would offer the normal cautions about not talking to strangers, etc, I would take it to heart and exaggerate the threat - in my mind. She had no idea I was doing this. I could go on and on about all the things that I was afraid of as a kid. 

By the time I was in college, I was not paralyzed with anxiety and probably seemed pretty normal. But, I remember the person describing the Sendak art as being claustrophobic and I recall thinking that the title suggested that it was about fears and overcoming fears. Maybe it would have been helpful to read it. 

I have been interested in articles about anxiety and how it springs from that dinosaur part of our brain and was helpful when we were carefree Neanderthals. It's a little trickier these days to see anxiety as a useful component of daily life.

This is a bit long and disjointed - but I am going to just leave it -- because we have ANOTHER topic, inspired by a comment. Thank you to people who leave comments that help me do these pandemic add-ons. Keep 'em coming.