Christopher Kloeble: Almost Everything Very Fast

It is no secret that a book, though written in solitude, is never composed by one person alone. I want to thank everyone who helped me turn this story into a Most Beloved Possession. Special thanks are due to:

Saskya, wielder of superpowers, with whom I fell in love thanks to this book.

Anna, Antje, and Til, who taught me the meaning of Most Beloved Possessions.

Günther Opitz, without whose trust and opening of doors “Alfred” would never have reached their goal.

Julia Eichhorn, because she believed in the story from the beginning.

Carolina Franzen, for leading Fred by the hand.

Krishna Winston and Riky Stock, for taking Fred and Albert across the Atlantic.

Kathleen Anderson, for making their passage safe.

Aaron Kerner, for providing them with a new and beautiful language.

Fiona McCrae and Katie Dublinski, for giving them this wonderful home in the United States.

When I was living in Königsdorf in the 1990s and attending the high school in Bad Tölz, I had to take the bus every morning. During that time I first noticed this tall, bearded man greeting the cars. It seems so long ago now and yet I remember exactly the touching conviction with which he raised his arm in the air, spread his fingers, fixed his gaze on an approaching vehicle, and gave a quick shake of the hand. In retrospect it seems as if he had waved to me, as if he were saying, “I’m here! I have a story to tell! Talk to me!”

You, Fred, deserve my biggest thanks.

CHRISTOPHER KLOEBLEis an award-winning German novelist and scriptwriter. Almost Everything Very Fast is his third book, and his first to be published in English. He lives in Berlin and New Delhi.

AARON KERNERis a translator, editor, and teacher. He lives in Boston.