Maurice Sendak has died.

From Bensonhurst. His partner of 50 years died in 2007. From his NYTimes obituary:

But he cherished the letters that individual children sent him unbidden, which burst with the sparks that his work had ignited.

“Dear Mr. Sendak,” read one, from an 8-year-old boy. “How much does it cost to get to where the wild things are? If it is not expensive, my sister and I would like to spend the summer there.”

Listen to his voice in this interview with Terry Gross.