Saul Bellow, listening to the essence of things

Wordsworth warned that we laid waste our powers by getting and spending. It is more serious than that now. Worse than getting and spending, modern distraction, worldwide irrationality and madness threaten existence itself. We may not make it. Under the circumstances I have no advice to offer other writers. I can only say, speaking for myself, the Heraclitean listening to the essence of things becomes more and more important.

                        Saul Bellow, "A World Too Much With Us," 1975