Our in-house designer, Alan Brownoff, does almost all of our covers, but every now and again we ask one of our terrific freelance book designers to create a cover. We thought it would be fun to share some of the behind-the-scenes conversations that led to our selecting this cover, produced by Natalie Olsen of Kisscut Design.
Natalie: “There are some specific lines in the design brief, listed below, that inspired these mock-ups. I was most drawn to the scenes with wind.”
“Of how the wind took your notes, no matter how hard you blew, the wind took your notes and did with them what it wanted, played with them, tossed them, swallowed them, spat them out. Erased them, in other words.”
“A gust of wind blew up and a slow spiral of air spun around them. On the nearest tall poplar the few leaves that had already turned yellow waved half-heartedly and let go of their branches, falling slowly to the ground.”
Michelle Lobkowicz (acquisitions editor): “I think falling leaves is a great direction for the cover. It’s very resonant of that second excerpt, and it’s such a great metaphor for loss, transformation, and importantly a transformation that can lead to renewal and new growth. Plants that have undergone trauma/shock drop their leaves. Aesthetically, I really like how some of the leaves and type are in the process of disappearing too. That reminds me of fuzzy memories, or a perspective that isn’t quite crystallized yet: also a theme in some of the stories.”
Astrid Blodgett (author): “I love it. I really appreciate seeing what Natalie was drawn to and the thoughts on loss, transformation, and new growth. Thank you, Michelle and Natalie.”
Astrid’s new book, This Is How You Start to Disappear, will be out in August 2023.
