Disclaimer: This is not a full reading—these are snippets from each of the books. It’s just a silly recording that may have calming side effects. 😊
I’m back with another podcast episode that’s not actually a podcast! This is a Chirri and Chirra bonus episode. Last week, I wrote about the delightfully weird and wonderful worlds of Chirri and Chirra and Alice in Wonderland. While writing that newsletter, I discovered that both stories relax me. There’s something about their playful writing that’s wonderfully hypnotic. So I thought it would be fun to record my own version of an ASMR reading of the Chirri and Chirra books!
Chirri and Chirra, Under the Sea (with some Moonbow additions)
I like the sound of people eating. I know for many it’s grotesque, but to me, it’s a sedative. I also like the sound of people feeding themselves. Even as young as eleven, I remember experiencing this relaxing reaction to specific sounds. In the ‘90s television show My So-Called Life, the protagonist, an angsty teenager named Angela Chase, sits with her family to have dinner and is repulsed by the fact that we chew food in front of other people. I agree with her that eating in public is weird. I don't like people watching me eat, but I have no problem watching them. Listening to Angela’s family eat dinner made me surprisingly sleepy: the clicking and clanging of utensils against porcelain plates and the crispy-crunchy bites of romaine lettuce sent tingles down the back of my neck. I didn’t know it then, but I was experiencing an auditory-tactile synesthesia that scientists call ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response).
Despite it being a scientific term, there isn’t any real science behind it. No one knows exactly why some people experience these pleasurable feelings from sounds, but those who get them know they’re real. Even with its growing popularity and the millions of views on Youtube, seeking out ASMR content can feel perverse. It’s incredibly intimate, sometimes uncomfortably so, but that usually means you’re watching something that isn’t for you (not all sounds are created equal). Personally, I don’t care for role-playing and acting videos. I prefer simple sounds like tapping, tracing, crinkling, and hair brushing.
A starter course in food ASMR is Vogue’s video of Florence Pugh eating 11 English dishes. It will get your neck and tastebuds tingling. And if you find listening to audiobooks relaxing, try ASMR book readings. I like to listen to Beatrix Potter’s tales. The writing is clear and compelling, and her use of onomatopoeia, assonance, and alliteration enhance the listening experience —which is why they’re ideal ASMR content. I recently found hypnotic videos of a soft-spoken English woman who reads The Tales of Beatrix Potter while gently tracing, tapping, and turning the pages. My favorite reading is The Tailor of Gloucester.
The Chirri and Chirra books have a similar effect. Reading them out loud, I’m flooded with a flurry of sensations and I’m instantly relaxed. So I decided to record an ASMR reading of the Chirri and Chirra series. But they’re picture books. The dynamic relationship between text and image is lost when only listening—which is why I’ve recorded snippets from the books instead of the entire story. And for the most part, I chose the food descriptions because they’re the most satisfying. I left in the sounds of me turning the pages, but I decided not to change the sound of my voice. This is a taste of ASMR, not a full course.
Chirri and Chirra ASMR Reading