Maurice Sendak: The Man Behind the Wild Things

It was sad to hear of Maurice Sendak’s passing a few weeks ago. He graced the world with Where the Wild Things Are along with many other books and illustrations. I’ve read Where the Wild Things Are to my children dozens of times because they enjoy it so much. I’ve seen some of his work in Chicken Soup with Rice and the Little Bear series, but I hardly knew much about his more recent work and personality in general.

A friend recommended I listen to the recent Fresh Air segment about Sendak. I quickly uploaded it on my ipod to check it out. Fresh Air compiled highlights from four Sendak interviews by Terry Gross. Sendak was cranky, honest, and sentimental. His painful family history and words of wisdom made these highlights quite fascinating.

Listen to the segment and tell me what you think. I haven’t listened to the original interviews, but they are also posted on that page.

I started searching a bit more for some interviews and info about Sendak. In January, Stephen Colbert interviewed him. Check out these clips— part 1, part 2, and the uncensored clips. They are hilarious!

Listening to him helped me understand and appreciate his work even more. I do hope you take some time to listen to these interviews and take a look at some of his work if you haven’t already.

Are you familiar with Sendak’s work? Any favorites?

Was he what you expected in the interviews?

A to Z Challenge 2012 – Reflection

I felt successful finishing this year’s A to Z Challenge. With lots of good tips from the A to Z Challenge Blog and this being my second attempt, I knew what would work for me. I kept the posts short, wrote about a theme I enjoyed, and prepared some posts ahead of time.

Thanks so much to those who posted comments and followed my blog! It’s motivating to hear from those who visit, so please let yourself be known if you do drop by!

I visited some new blogs, but didn’t comment nearly as much as I wanted. Luckily the blog list will still be up so I can continue discovering more blogs that participated in the challenge!

I do need a little help here: Since I am using WordPress, I can’t add Google Friend Connect. Any suggestions on what I can add to my blog to make it easier for others to follow me? 

A to Z Challenge: To Zion

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is an album I can listen to in its entirety. Among those incredible songs, To Zion’s message unfolds the powerful force of motherhood. Lauryn sings about the anticipation of a birth and her perspective on giving life:

Have you listened to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill? Did you like her with The Fugees? 

A to Z Challenge: Weird Al Yankovic

I remember when Weird Al would take a hit like Michael Jackson’s Beat It and put a…well, weird twist on it:

He even had fun with Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio:

(Sometimes I prefer the parody to the original!)

Are you familiar with Weird Al’s work? Any parodies or original songs of his you enjoy? 

A to Z Challenge: Xanadu

Olivia Newton-John has such a beautiful voice. I don’t remember watching Xanadu, but I’ve heard some songs from it. Olivia looks and sounds so radiant in this video:

I’m glad to discover Magic and Suddenly were from this soundtrack as well:

Did you grow up listening to Olivia Newton-John? Have you watched Xanadu?

A to Z Challenge: Wham!

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, better known together as Wham!, created several hits in the early 80s. The one that stands out is upbeat, lively, and just makes you want to get up and dance. Check it out:

Would you really get up and dance to this one? Were you a Wham! fan? 

A to Z Challenge: The Violator Album

I remember clearly when I purchased the Violator album. It was one of my first CDs and I was a major Depeche Mode fan. Just look at the sleek, minimalist cover:

I always wanted one of those Violator Tour concert shirts, but I never got one. I didn’t even go to a Depeche Mode concert until the Exciter Tour which was a decade after Violator came out. But seeing and hearing DM live was worth the wait!

Here’s one from Violator you might remember:

Although David Gahan usually sings the lead vocals for DM, Martin Gore also sings lead vocals from time to time. Here’s one sung by Martin from Violator:

Are you a Depeche Mode fan? Which song or album is your favorite?

A to Z Challenge: Unforgettable

If it’s a bit of romance you’re looking for, check out Nat and Natalie in this heartfelt duet:

Do you enjoy Nat King Cole‘s music? Are you a fan of Natalie Cole?

A to Z Challenge: Tenacious D

You may have seen Jack Black in School of Rock, but have you seen him really ROCK? You must see him as part of this music duo:

Are you familiar with Tenacious D? Are you a Jack Black fan? 

A to Z Challenge: Shakira

The lovely Shakira! You don’t need to understand Spanish to notice how talented she is:

Do you enjoy Shakira’s music?