When Things Get Dark A Mongolian Winter's Tale [Hardcover]

At 23, Matt Davis moved to a remote Mongolian town to teach English.What he found when he arrived was a townand a countryundergoing wholesale change from a traditional, countryside existence to a more urban, modern identity.When Things Get Darkdocuments these changes through the Mongolians Matt meets, but also focuses on the author's downward spiral into alcohol abuse and violence--a scenario he saw played out by many of the Mongolian men around him. Matt's self-destruction culminates in a drunken fight with three men that forces him to a hospital to have his kidneys X-rayed. He hits bottom in that cold hospital room, his body naked and shivering, a bloodied Mongolian man staring at him from an open door, the irrational thought in his head that maybe he is going to die there. His personal struggles are balanced with insightful descriptions of customs and interactions, and interlaced with essays on Mongolian history and culture that make for a fascinating glimpse of a mysterious place and people.

MATTHEW DAVIS is a MFA graduate of the University of Iowa's Nonfiction Writing Program and currently a graduate student at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. A chapter ofWhen Things Get Darkhas won the 2005 Atlantic Monthly prize in nonfiction and another chapter was a notable essay in the 2006 Best American Travel Writing series. Matt lives in Washington, D.C.

Both a raw personal examination and an insightful look at Mongolian history and culture, Davis' illuminating memoir sheds light on a remote region. Booklist

A lively, frank look into the Mongolian psyche...a work that offers a rare glimpse into a little-understood part of the world. Kirkus Reviews

Matthew Davis's portrait of Mongolia is riveting, insightful, and deeply honest. He captures the timeless elements of this remarkable country--the glorious history, the wide-open landscapes--but he also writes about the forces that shape today'sl³¢