Somewhere Towards the End

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"My own belief--that we, on our short-lived planet, are part of a universe simultaneously . . . ordinary . . . and incalculably mysterious . . .--does not feel like believing in nothing and would never make me recruit anyone for slaughter. It feels like a state of infinite possibility, stimulating and enjoyable--not exactly comforting, but acceptable because true."

Diana Athill in her memoir, Somewhere Towards the End (qtd. Erica Jong)

"She knows that people die, and she fully expects our species and our planet to become extinct. But this belief, rather than depressing her, frees her. All creatures are simply passing through like the dinosaurs. This is not the end of everything; it is the beginning of immense diversity. The universe keeps on creating new forms. Why should that trouble us? We may be perishable, but creativity and creation are not."

Erica Jong, "An Adventurous Woman"