Khalil Wimes’ foster family; then, remembering Maurice Sendak

Hour 1

Three years before he died, Khalil Wimes was living in the happy, healthy, loving home of ALICIA NIXON,  her husband J. Evans, and Alicia’s mother La REINE NIXON. The family took Khalil in just one week after he was born at the request of his birth parents Tina Cuffie and Floyd Wimes.  Khalil lived with the Nixons until he was three, when the court ordered that the child be reunited with his birth parents.  Just three years later, he was found dead and his birth parents are in jail charged with first degree murder.  Over the years the Nixon family, concerned about Khalil’s safety and well-being, made countless requests to DHS for an appeal to the decision and they even wrote to the judge who oversaw the hearing on Khalil’s future. In the end they were unable to have an influence in the case.  ALICIA NIXON and LaREINE NIXON join us this morning to provide their perspective on the tragic death of 6-year old Khalil Wimes.

Then, DERICK DREHER, director of the Rosenbach Museum & Library, joins us to discuss his longtime friend, the legendary children’s book author/illustrator Maurice Sendak, who died yesterday. Sendak’s classics, “Where the Wild Things Are” and “In the Night Kitchen,” are among the best-loved works of literature for children. We’ll also listen back to some of Marty’s 2003 interview with Sendak.

Here’s a short video WHYY produced about the Rosenbach’s 2008-2009 exhibition, “There’s a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak.”

Listen to the mp3

Listen:
[audio: 050912_100630.mp3]

Radio Times remembered the late, great children’s book author & illustrator MAURICE SENDAK today by replaying part of his April 2, 2003, in-studio interview with Marty Moss-Coane. In this clip, Marty gets Maurice to read “Where the Wild Things Are,” and the two of them voice the “wild rumpus.”

Listen to the mp3

Listen:
[audio: rt09wild.mp3]