Maurice Sendak, who changed the face of children's literature, died today. He was 83. Maurice Sendak, Children's Author, Dies at 83 - NYTimes.com. Regarded as the most important children's creator of modern times, Sendak also created controversy with his unvarnished look at childhood. Urusula Nordstrom, Sendak's Editor, on "Wild Things," 1964 | The Awl