I welcome whatever happens next

“In ‘I welcome whatever happens next,’ the essayist now looks back once again on all his encounters with Cage—and on the many artistic projects they undertook together.”
Guido Fischer, Rondo, August 8, 2026

A personal portrait that only a close friend could write.

With Lesenlernen. Über moderne Literatur und das Menschenrecht auf Poesie (Hanser Verlag, 2006) and his highly acclaimed essay Wolkendienst. Figuren des Flüchtigen (S. Fischer Verlag, 2016)—which was shortlisted for the German Nonfiction Prize—Klaus Reichert ranks among the most prominent voices in German essay writing.

In I Welcome Whatever Happens Next: Memories of John Cage, he returns to a theme that has accompanied him for decades: his relationship with John Cage. Drawing on encounters, conversations, and their collaborative work, the result is not a traditional artist’s portrait, but an open, fluid tapestry of memories and thoughts.

Reichert writes in his characteristic style: precise, unobtrusive, with a keen sense of transitions—between music and language, between listening and thinking. Time and again, the focus is on attentiveness: to sounds, to texts, to another person.

Thus unfolds a quiet, insightful book about closeness and collaboration, about language and sound—and about the question of how music can be described at all. Its close connection to literature also becomes apparent, particularly in the shared exploration of James Joyce and Finnegans Wake.

A collection of high-caliber essays at the intersection of music, literature, and philosophy—and at the same time a meticulously crafted book object: The high-quality hardcover edition, featuring carefully selected materials and understated design, emphasizes the book’s distinctive physical presence. The paperback edition also carries this clarity forward, making the book accessible in a second format.

The German edition was published in May 2026. The English edition has been delayed by the extensive translation work; the publication date will be announced. It can be pre-ordered now.