Things Become Other Things

“Mod takes the reader along on an epic, exquisitely detailed journey, on foot, through a rural Japan few of us are likely to experience. Uniquely unforgettable.”—William Gibson, New York Times-bestselling author of Neuromancer “Psychologists tell us there is great variety in the way people experience inner voices. For some it’s a constant monologue, even a chorus, while others experience detached, third-person perspectives. While reading his engrossing memoir, I felt like I was in Craig Mod’s head as he ambled around Japan. Along with giving me comfort, his calm and honest voice imparted wisdom. Reading Things Before Other Things made me want to go for a long walk and learn to listen to my own inner voice.”—Alec Soth, photographer and author of Advice for Young Artists “From its first pages, this book vibrates with energy—a calm charisma. The steady pad of feet on pavement (and wet dirt, and old stones) becomes a backbeat for histories personal and global, observations tiny and profound. Craig Mod’s memoir is the quiet road, set one back from the busy artery, that calls to you—maybe there’s something interesting that way? Oh boy is there. You’ll be glad you took this path.”—Robin Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore “Mod’s highly readable chronicle of a secular pilgrimage through Japan’s vanishing rural towns breathes new life into the travelogue while shining a light on the dire need for solace among all who have suffered through the trauma of American violence and social fracture.”—W. David Marx, author of Ametora and Status and Culture “Mod points his viewfinder at rural Japan, but what develops is a snapshot of the slow, faceless violence that produced so many of us.”—Dexter Thomas, journalist and documentary filmmaker “Things Become Other Things is powered by Craig Mod’s curiosity and thoughtfulness and takes you on a transportive journey through the depths of a rural Japan few of us shall ever see. It’s also an achingly real portrait of friendship in small-town America that will ring true to many. It is nature, memory, heartbreak, and at its core an ode to the beauty and wonder contained in everything—and the patience to find it. Through Mod’s guidance you take it all in—from freshwater mountain crabs scrambling on a log to a rural metal worker that has a secret stash of meticulously crafted tiny iron frogs. Memoir, travelogue, photo book—this piece is a walk itself and one well worth taking.”—Aziz Ansari, author of Modern Romance “Gorgeous . . . Punctuated with stunning black and white photographs of the villages and landscapes Mod encountered, this tender exploration of fragile ecosystems and vanishing ways of life will encourage readers to look more closely at their own surroundings. It’s a nourishing trek.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review “A meditative travelogue through a part of Japan few outsiders ever see . . . [Mod’s] account reaches far beyond private reminiscence to become an exemplary travel narrative, instructive and entertaining. Elegant and inspired: just the thing to read along with Basho and other pilgrims into Japan’s back country.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review