Read it on Salon
SPONSORED POST
Monday, Nov 11, 2013 5:01 AM UTCAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak inspired illustrator Mr. Zelinsky to draw award-winning children’s books that even adults enjoy SLIDE SHOW
Sponsored by Cole HaanTopics: slideshow, COLE_HAAN, INSPIRATION_FOUNDATIONS, maurice sendak, Paul_O._Zelinsky, Life News
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- 1 of 11
- Close
- Fullscreen
- Thumbnails
Sponsored Post
-
- Previous
- Next
Susan Kuklin -
- Previous
- Next
©1979 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
How I Hunted the Little Fellows
-
- Previous
- Next
©2012 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Z is for Moose
Published by Greenwillow Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers
-
- Previous
- Next
©2001 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Illustration for Awful Ogre's Awful Day by Jack Prelutsky
Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books
-
- Previous
- Next
©1983 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Illustration for Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
HarperCollins Publishers
-
- Previous
- Next
©2010 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Illustration for Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs
Schwartz and Wade Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House
-
- Previous
- Next
©1997 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Rapunzel
Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House
-
- Previous
- Next
©2006 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Cover Illustration for The Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin
Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House
-
- Previous
- Next
©1985 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Illustration for The Story of Mrs. Lovewright and Purrless, Her Cat by Lore Segal
Atheneum Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Publishing
-
- Previous
- Next
©1994 Paul O. ZelinskyAuthor & Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky Remembers His Teacher, Colleague and Friend Maurice Sendak
Illustration for Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House
-
Recent Slide Shows
The late-great Maurice Sendak credited his love of books to being bedridden with a childhood illness and his decision to become an illustrator to a viewing of Walt Disney’s Fantasia. Best remembered for his fantastical picture book about a boy named Max, Sendak won the annual Caldecott Medal in 1964 for this classic which continues to be one of the most celebrated children’s books of all time. Over his career, he brought his own, and the words of others, to life in quirky characters.
Before meeting Sendak in a college classroom, Paul O. Zelinsky had never considered that he too might enter into the wild world of children’s book illustration. Now a Caldecott Medal winner himself, Zelinsky drew inspiration, quite literally, from Sendak’s example until his passing last year.
How were you introduced to Maurice Sendak’s work?
When Where the Wild Things Are came out, I was in the fifth grade, and past its target age. I probably saw the book as I browsed through the children’s section of my local bookstore, which I liked to do throughout my childhood. But I didn’t own it. I also didn’t know of his seminal drawings in Ruth Krauss’ books, such as A Hole Is to Dig. The only Sendak book I’m sure I knew of as a young child was What Do You Say, Dear? written by Sesyle Joslin. I bought it through a school book club and thought it was one of the funniest things I’d ever seen.
Did you ever have a chance to meet Maurice Sendak in person?
As a sophomore in college, I saw that a special, one-time course was being offered on the subject of children’s picture books. One of the two teachers would be Maurice Sendak. This was at Yale, and I was very aware of how lucky I was. We found out later that it was the first course he ever taught. Maurice was a wonderful, cranky, subversive, funny presence. I kept in touch with him, on and off, ever since then.
How has his legacy inspired your work?
Maurice Sendak inspired my work and my career in various ways. Illustrating children’s books was not really on my radar before that course, but it was afterwards. It had never really dawned on me before meeting Sendak that the books I grew up with were created by living people. I might possibly have come around to the same career anyway, but who knows?
I was also influenced by the delicately modeled drawings he created at the time. In books like The Juniper Tree: And Other Tales From Grimm, The Bat-Poet by Randall Jarrell, and Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer, the cross-hatching bowled me over. My first picture book was also cross-hatched: How I Hunted the Little Fellows was more than a little derivative.
Maurice was also a powerfully principled person. He was an artist before anything, and he had no patience for illustrators or writers who had sold out, or whose motivations were not aimed high. So he inspired me to aim as high as I could.
How did you get your start as an illustrator?
During that course I teamed up with another student who wrote funny, folktale-like stories, and the little projects we created seemed worth pursuing. I looked up addresses of publishers and mailed them copies of our work. We got some encouraging responses, and from one publisher, an acceptance! Unfortunately though, that publisher was bought by another one and dissolved before there was ever a contract. Then I put children’s books on a mental back burner and pursued a master’s degree in painting, which nominally qualified me to teach art on a college level.
I did a little teaching, and then I decided that the best thing I could do for my students was to stop trying to be a teacher. So I moved to New York and started trying to be a children’s book illustrator. After a couple of months a publisher found a manuscript I might illustrate, and I haven’t stopped since.
What projects do you have coming up?
My most recently published book is the very funny alphabet book Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham, and I’ve just finished the art for a second book in the series, called Circle, Square, Moose, which will come out in fall 2014. Now I’m going to put together an animated trailer for it. We made a trailer for Z Is for Moose, and I asked many illustrator friends to record their voices for it. Maurice was one of them. He declaimed “Oy gevalt!” into my computer several times, in tones of overflowing misery. In the animation I cast him as the Glove That G Is For. This was only a couple of months before he died.
My next book after this one will be a picture book by Emily Jenkins called What Is Snow? It features the characters that she created for the trilogy of chapter books that we made together starting with Toys Go Out.
How do you hope to inspire the next generation?
I think it’s generally true of children’s book makers that we don’t feel all that grown-up inside, so the notion of inspiring future generations has a strange ring to it. But it’s very odd how the more time passes, the more it seems that people around me are younger than I am, sometimes now much, much, much younger. I don’t teach on a regular basis, but I take part in organizations that offer help to writers and illustrators, such as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and PEN.
I speak and write and I am happy to give advice to younger friends if they want it. I’ll also offer advice to older friends if they want it. In a larger sense, it would be wonderful to think that my work might inspire future generations of artists in the same way that I was inspired by not only Maurice’s work but that of many other artists. Really good art is inspiring, plain and simple. It inspires you to feel and to think, and if you’re an artist yourself, to want to make your own. My biggest hope, when it comes to inspiring others, is to make work that has strong form, true characters, and soul. Sendak told me that this was what he thought was special in my art, the soul. That was one deep compliment and I will never forget it.
You Might Also Like
More Related Stories
- Raptor porn: The ridiculous proliferation of the red-tail call
- Your move to the big city may be your last
- 2013: The worst tweets of the year
- Green Swag: A plastic water bottle that isn't terrible
- 2013: The year in sexism
- 5 reasons to feel hopeful about reproductive rights in 2013
- Where that Christmas feast really came from
- My son is getting an American Girl Doll for Christmas
- Mom's girly presents to me
- The real history of the "war on Christmas"
- My holiday shakeup: How my mom and I made our own traditions after loss
- My atheist Christmas in China
- Federal judge refuses Utah's request to block marriage equality ruling
- Charles Ramsey's publishing future: The uncertain economics of viral-hero book deals
- Texas high school student reports being raped, is suspended for "public lewdness"
- Disney partners with oil industry to make pipelines fun
- Texas law forces hospital to keep pregnant woman on life support against her family's wishes
- Justine Sacco's aftermath: The cost of Twitter outrage
- Immigrant families live in fear while Obama breaks a record in deportations
- Phil Robertson and Mike Huckabee double down on homophobia
- Utah tries to block gay couples from marrying after historic court ruling
Featured Slide Shows
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- 1 of 16
- Close
- Fullscreen
- Thumbnails
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Lena Dunham
The actress, who’d been a lightning rod for both praise and controversy on the back of her comedy series “Girls” in 2012, rung in 2013 with a pair of Golden Globes for best actress in a comedy and best comedy series. She’s nominated in both categories again, but Season 2 was a far less universally accessible thing; it went, in its 2013 season, from a show addressing the general malaise of Greenpoint post-grads to an exploration of a very particular protagonist. She also wrote for the New Yorker a lot. A good year!
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Quvenzhané Wallis
The star of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” charmed practically everyone at the Oscars, where she was the youngest best actress nominee ever; she went on to film a remake of “Annie” opposite Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz.
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Carly Rae Jepsen
Jepsen, who had 2012’s song of the summer with “Call Me Maybe,” released the fifth and final single from her debut album in January 2013. She toured the U.S. in mid-2013 -- just as Daft Punk and Robin Thicke battled to succeed her as icons of the summer.
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Honey Boo Boo
2012’s biggest reality star, the young pageant contestant Alana Thompson, had a quieter time this year, with a second season whose ratings were strong but whose buzz was a bit muted. America was, by now, accustomed to young Thompson, and outraged or scandalized reactions were reserved for other TLC programming, like “The Man With the 132-Pound Scrotum.”
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Frank Ocean
Ocean missed out on the top Grammys for which he was nominated in early 2013; he bounced back quickly with featured appearances on albums by Kanye West, Jay Z and Beyoncé, and is at work on a new album. Things are looking up!
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Channing Tatum
The “21 Jump Street” and “Magic Mike” star had a marginally less charmed 2013, with “White House Down” failing to connect with moviegoers and “Foxcatcher” delayed until next year. It may get worse before it gets better: His big 2014 sci-fi flick, “Jupiter Ascending,” looks … well, a little weird!
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
One Direction
With their third album in 21 months hitting No. 1 immediately upon its fall 2013 release, the boy band that broke into America in 2012 would seem to be here to stay for a while. Still, they looked a bit nervous in their reaction shots during the Video Music Awards’ ‘N Sync reunion; maybe not this year, maybe not next, but eventually, the Justin of One Direction is going to break out. For now, though, things look good!
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Lana Del Rey
The famously uncomfortable “Saturday Night Live” musical guest overcame endless mockery from 2012 to land her first top-10 hit in the summer of 2013 -- a remix of a year-old song, “Summertime Sadness.” As the co-writer of “Young and Beautiful,” the love theme from “The Great Gatsby,” Del Rey is such a front-runner for the best original song Oscar (last won by Adele) that there has been a direct-mail campaign to academy voters against her. The song was also played at the most romantic event of the year: Kanye West’s stadium marriage proposal to Kim Kardashian.
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Rebel Wilson
Wilson, who charmed fans of 2012’s “Pitch Perfect,” had a rockier 2013, with her sitcom “Super Fun Night” struggling creatively and in the ratings. Her next planned movies are both sequels, to “Kung Fu Panda” and -- hoping lightning will strike twice -- to “Pitch Perfect.”
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Gotye
Another 2012 music icon, Gotye won the record of the year trophy at the 2013 Grammys for “Somebody That I Used to Know.” He released no new singles in 2013, and has told the press he has been struggling to complete new material. Good luck, Gotye!
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Ryan Lochte
The golden boy of the 2012 Olympics, without feats of aquatic derring-do to distract the public this year, saw his always-tenuous persona completely shift from “amiable jock” into “utter dolt” with his E! reality series. Worst of all, the series was canceled.
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Jennifer Lawrence
In 2012, the young actress -- best known for her role in the indie “Winter’s Bone” and a supporting part in the “X-Men” franchise -- had marquee roles in the first “Hunger Games” film and in David O. Russell’s comedy “Silver Linings Playbook.” In 2013, she played to her strengths: After winning an Oscar, she starred in the second “Hunger Games” movie, on whose publicity tour she managed to charm everyone in America, and had another role in a David O. Russell comedy, “American Hustle,” for which she might just win ANOTHER Oscar. By 2014, she may end up running a major studio, or serving as president.
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Kate Upton
The breakout bikini model of 2012 made a repeat appearance on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue -- and got to do high-fashion spreads in Elle, Vogue and Vanity Fair. She was cast in a Cameron Diaz comedy, too. Some types of appeal are eternal!
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
E. L. James
The “50 Shades” novelist now gets to help share some input into a movie adaptation set for release in 2015. She probably never needs to work again! Isn’t that great? Isn’t that … just … great?
-
- Previous
- Next
Whatever happened to last year's breakout stars?
Psy
The “Gangnam Style” phenom performed at New Year’s 2013, but will spend New Year’s 2014 flipping channels to find his pistachio ad, his goofy antics having been outdone in the past year by “The Fox” singers Ylvis. Nothing meme can stay.
-
Recent Slide Shows
- The 7 most awkward family holiday photos of all time
- Red List 2013
- Midwest tornadoes: Damage and rainbows left by the storm
- Extremely rare "Asian unicorn" caught on film
- Haiyan's aftermath, 5 days in
- MayaBags: Where Fashion Meets Fair Trade Artistry
- Sumatran tiger cubs' first swim
- China's air pollution crisis
- Best Eco-Tourism Resorts and Hotels within Five Hours of the United States
- Street Photographer Eric Kim Discusses the Photography of Elliott Erwitt
- 15 scary, beautiful scenes of skeletons
- Pumpkin wars: Renewables vs gas and oil
- Australia's "Lost World"
- Poet & Photographer Thomas Sayers Ellis On the Modern Legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou
- The "Dirty Dozen"
- Jerry Ross on NASA Inspiration, and Apollo 13 Commander, Captain Jim Lovell
Related Videos
Comments
Loading Comments...
Most Read
- The 10 best movies of 2013 Andrew O'Hehir
- The real history of the "war on Christmas" Jarret Ruminski
- How to ruin Christmas: A holiday guide to arguing with conservative relatives Alex Pareene
- Watt likely to have plastic surgery to repair nose Kristie Rieken, Associated Press
- Fox News' 5 worst moments of 2013 Elias Isquith
- I do not fear death Roger Ebert
- McDonald's embarrassment on employee resource site Natasha Lennard
- The 10 best segments from "The Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" this year Prachi Gupta
- The 38-year-old relationship virgin Erin Auerbach
- Two-sentence holiday fiction: Amazing short-short stories from amazing writers David Daley
- Vine gets steamy Tracy Clark-Flory
- Evangelical church's ugly truth: "Duck Dynasty" and Christian racists Brittney Cooper
- 10 Hollywood movies that dared to go down Tracy Clark-Flory
- 14-year-old girl films father's sexual abuse with webcam Miles Klee, The Daily Dot
- Justine Sacco's aftermath: The cost of Twitter outrage Roxane Gay
Popular on Reddit
links from salon.com
15 points16 points17 points | 1 comment
From Around the Web
Presented by Scribol
-
There's Something Absolutely Wrong With What We Do To Boys Before They Grow Into Men
-
What's It Like Being An Unmarried Woman Over 30? Looks Pretty Cool To Me.
-
This Is The Best A Breathalyzer Will Ever Sound
-
Imagine Trying To Pay Bills On Little Money. Then Imagine They Want To Take Half Of That Away.
-
This Video Both Enlightened And Confused Me About Solving Climate Change. That's Why I Love It.