Reading as Therapy + Cozy Bowls

Lots of Books + Miso Oats

READ

At first I couldn’t read. Too weary, too sleep-deprived, too restless – Watch Duty popped up roughly every 30 seconds with another notification I felt compelled to check. After a week of tripling my screen time, eyes fizzy with blue light, I called a meeting (with myself). We decided to double down on books and stay away from the phone for awhile. We thought it best for both of us.

Books offer so much for so little: swaths of catharsis, moments of reflection or transportation, snippets of aliveness: the ability to emotionally disconnect and connect simultaneously. In times of hardship, my drug of choice is literature (I’m not that fun, huh?), and this tragedy is no different. I started with comfort; much the way everyone was obsessed with rewatching during COVID, I decided that rereading was the only answer after the first week of the LA fires. Something short, digestible, smart, funny, deep: Claire Messud’s A Dream Life, a favorite novella I’d first read in 2022 and had been wanting to return to. A story of a family that moves from New York to Sydney in the 70s, stepping from modest dwellings into a grand mansion on the Sydney pier, it’s rife with themes of domesticity, who we are vs. who we think we want to be, the role of paid help, the sacrifices the rich make in favor of alleged ease, the airs we put on. Apparently, Messud was a huge fan of The Door, which explains her exploration of the contrast between the uber-wealthy and paid labor, and the guilt the wealthy sometimes feel for their role in the social hierarchy. I loved A Dream Life the second time probably even more than I did the first.

Next, I ambled toward Jo Ann Beard, a longtime favorite who I’ve been waiting to return to. Cheri was magic; this time I went for her book of essays, Festival Days. I think I must’ve texted every beloved reader I know in a matter of three days: “Have you read Jo Ann? You MUST!” I’m not normally satisfied by short stories (with the exception of Alice Munro, who, let’s be honest, now brings with her byline seemingly endless darkness). Essays, however – I like those. And Jo Ann gives good essay. Such an elegant writer your jaw will drop, slack, at the whims of her prose. Funny, too – humble, with a stream-of-consciousness style that never leaves you wondering where you are. She always takes you to a place of transcendence. Her writing on writing, on migraines, on dogs, on death, will make you a better reader (and deeper thinker).

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the book I read to close out 2024, and the one that ushered in 2025: First, The Boy and the Dog by Hase Seishū, translated from the Japanese by Alison Watts. A moving exploration of the ways a stray dog touches several disparate characters’ lives: a sex worker; a couple on the brink of divorce; a criminal outrunning the law; a child, mute from the trauma of the Tsunami. As we’ve discussed, translated Japanese novels often tend to keep the reader at an emotional distance. This one’s prose is straightforward yet the subject matter brings warmth and pathos. If you’re an animal person you can’t miss this one.

When the new year rolled around I was craving softness; little did I know how that theme would continue to resonate. Flowers are soft. Diaries (especially old ones written by women) are often soft. So I picked up Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth Von Arnim. Von Arnim – a plucky Brit who resisted her lot as the young, allegedly daft counterpart to her older German aristocrat husband – moved to Germany without her husband or children (basically an act of insanity in those days) in order to read books (which was considered a man’s hobby back then) and build a glorious garden. Born in 1866, Von Arnim published 18 books throughout her life, under a pseudonym; I adored The Enchanted April (1922) and was myself enchanted to learn Elizabeth and Her German Garden was published in 1898 when she was just 22. It’s a lovely, wily account of the daily goings on of a wealthy woman who’s bucking tradition: She refers to her husband as The Man of Wrath, and while she clearly loves her children and dotes on them when they visit, her garden and her books are what move her. She clings to her freedom, is judged mercilessly by the other women in her social circle, and spends hours outside – rain or shine or snow – nurturing and appreciating the nature surrounding her.

A Dream Life by Claire Messud, pub. 2022
Buy: Bookshop.org or your local bookstore

Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard, pub. 2022
Buy: Bookshop.org or your local bookstore (I bought mine used)

The Boy and the Dog by Hase Seishū, translated from the Japanese by Alison Watts, pub. 2022
Buy: Bookshop.org or your local bookstore

Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth Von Arnim, pub. 1898
Buy: Bookshop.org or your local bookstore (there are so many used copies, too!)

EAT

As stated previously, I’ve been feeling limited in terms of cooking capacity and have been craving warming, simple foods. To me, nothing says cozy like a bowl of savory oats. I’ve published a savory oat recipe in the past that I absolutely adore; this one is different, and shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to put together. Enjoy it any time of day.

Miso oats
Makes 1 serving

Ghee, unsalted butter or coconut oil
½ cup oats
Water
½ tablespoon yellow or white miso paste
1 7-minute egg
Garnish options: coconut milk, spring onion, chile oil, cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, avocado, sesame oil, etc.

Warm a pat of ghee in a pan over medium heat, then toast your oats, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Meanwhile, simmer water with a pinch of salt in a saucepan (whatever quantity of water will vary depending on the type of oats you’re using). When the oats are toasted and the water is boiling, add the oats to the water and cook according to your bag’s instructions until they’re nearly done. Remove a spoonful of oats from the saucepan and put them in a small bowl with the miso. Stir together until fully incorporated, then add the oat-miso mixture back into the saucepan of oats and cook for another minute or so until the oats are fully cooked through and creamy. Taste: It should be savory, balanced, with nice umami – but not too salty. Add coconut milk if it’s too salty to balance it out. Top with garnishes of choice – this time I used what I had (7-minute egg, spring onion, chile oil, coconut milk) but see above for ideas!