Description
Named a Best Book of the Year by Vogue. Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Debutiful.
"A terrific debut: fresh, original, and surprising." —George Saunders, Booker-Prize winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo
A listless woman befriends an influencer at a rooftop party, only to discover her lifestyle is not as glamorous as it seems. A college freshman gives the world’s longest blow job to a boy whose name she’s forgotten. A fan-favorite reality TV star joins a dating app after an explosive breakup, ready to move on, but finds she’s in control only when cameras are rolling. While working in a hot tub showroom, a struggling actress goes method so she can nail an audition for the role of High School Junkie Girlfriend. Threaded throughout these explorations of neuroses and aspirations is one Arlo Banks, a hotshot actor who faces his own downfall when he’s accused of cannibalism.
From the dazzling to the mundane, Rende’s unnervingly astute stories hold a mirror to our obsession with how we’re perceived and our ache to be adored. Above all else, I Could Be Famous is a love letter to big ambitions and bigger dissatisfactions, belief in ourselves, and the fascination we hold with the idea that we could—somehow, someday—be famous.
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
Author: Rende, Sydney
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: January 13, 2026
Category: Fiction / Short Stories (single author)
ISBN: 9781639735860