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Stories
Bloomsbury Publishing
January 2026
On Sale: January 13, 2026
272 pages
ISBN: 1639735860
EAN: 9781639735860
Kindle: B0F74GZGT6
Hardcover / e-Book
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Humor | Coming of Age | Fiction Literary
For fans of Homesick for Another World and HBO's Girls, a magnetic debut story collection following ten ambitious women and one male superstar as they pursue their desires--however deluded--for more.
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 only in control 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 brilliant, unnerving, cynical 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.
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