It's dark, where should we go

Author: Peng Yang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: I cried many times after reading it because I found many aspects of myself in it. Suddenly, I felt the urge to confide, as if these events had really happened around me.
—Lin Xiao (Grade 11) The author truly understands us, even though he interviewed some marginalized students, but many of the feelings we experience during adolescence are the same. I love his writing and his sincere narrative style, as if the words written in a diary yesterday were published today. This book is different from novels; it directly reaches the core of our emotions.
—Bi Hua (Grade 2, Chinese Language Department, University) After reading this book, I copied the chapters I liked and used them as a kind of spiritual scripture that supports me. My psychology is quite negative, even a bit "problematic," but when I read his words, my mind becomes exceptionally calm and peaceful. I study art and design. I designed a shirt with Peng Yang's portrait on it, like Che Guevara, and wore it every day for a while. He became my spiritual idol.
—Wei Yu-bo (Grade 1, Art and Design Department, University) I’ve read many books about adolescent psychology before, and while they were the results of serious interviews by social workers, they always felt like numbers, very fake. However, Peng Yang’s book is very real, and many of the feelings I’ve experienced are reflected in it. Without a true portrayal, I was deeply moved. I hope there is someone like him in this fast-paced, materialistic world who thinks and lives independently.
—Chen Andong (Grade 12) When the Sky Darkens, Where Do We Go tells the stories of nine marginalized individuals born in the 1980s. There are those who attempted suicide after a breakup, those trapped in homosexuality, those who developed depression due to academic pressure, those who were obsessed with "celebrity dreams," those whose siblings became enemies because only one could attend school, those who were lured into drug use due to mental stress and physical discomfort, those who contracted AIDS from pornography and adult websites, and those who neglected both school and work, treating online games as their daily life. Reading these stories of youth lost in adolescence and in growth cannot help but make people feel melancholic and heavy. They shouldn’t have had to walk this path or suffer such fates.
On February 26, 2004, the State Council issued the Opinions on Further Strengthening and Improving the Ideological and Moral Construction of Minors, stating that the "ideological and moral status of minors" is "directly related to the overall quality of the Chinese nation, as well as the future of the country and the destiny of the nation. High emphasis must be placed on the education and nurturing of the next generation, and efforts must be made to improve the ideological and moral quality of minors. This is an excellent tradition of our Party and an important guarantee for the continuity of the Party and the state’s cause." When the Sky Darkens, Where Do We Go, from the perspective of "problematic youth," underscores the importance and urgency of this issue. The education of "minors" needs to be "strengthened and improved," and the problems of "problematic minors" require attention and concern. In a sense, understanding, caring for, and helping this group is both a form of healing for those who have already encountered "problems" and a preventive measure to ensure fewer minors face such issues in the future. On such a significant issue and important undertaking, of course, "not a single one should be left behind."
In this work that documents the misfortunes of peers, we can sense the author’s descent into their perspective, the depth of their gaze, and the profound concern, subtle anxiety, and earnest sense of responsibility that permeate their vision and gaze. This may be what makes the book particularly unique and precious.
I was also interested in how the author demonstrated considerable literary maturity and artistic talent in selecting representative subjects, writing readable descriptions, handling sensitive topics appropriately, and focusing on revealing attitudes and emotions to leave more room for imagination and reflection.
In the context of contemporary documentary literature, this work can be considered a significant and highly literary piece that cannot be ignored. For Peng Yang’s personal writing, this book undoubtedly holds a breakthrough significance. However, the greater significance may lie in its effort to engage with reality and reflect on society, enriching and deepening the writing of the "post-80s" generation and showcasing the growing vitality and hope of "post-80s" literature as an art form.