Shelf Life
“…Sendak’s tale is a meditation on the role of art, and on the artist’s life. The Rosie of his story entertains her friends and enriches their lives, but only up to a point. In the end, they leave her to do other things and she is left alone with her creativity. Rosie is desperately vulnerable. She depends on an audience for appreciation and stimulation yet, like all artists, she can hold its attention only so long. Ultimately, she creates because she must, she is an admirable but isolated figure.”
–Selma G. Lanes, The Art of Maurice Sendak
