Amy Rossi
Author Interview - Amy Rossi
Author of The Cover Girl
Birdie Rhodes was only thirteen when legendary modeling agent Harriet Goldman discovered her in a department store and transformed her into one of Harriet’s Girls. What followed felt like the start of something incredible, a chance for shy Birdie to express herself in front of the camera. But two years later, she meets a thirty-one-year-old rock star, and her teenage heart falls hard as he leads her into a new life, despite Harriet's warnings. Then, as abruptly as it began, it’s over, like a lipstick-smeared fever dream. Birdie tries hard to forget that time—starting over in Paris, in the dying embers of the LA punk scene, in Boston at the height of the AIDS crisis. She’s not that person anymore. At least, that’s what she’s been telling herself.
Decades later, Birdie lives a quiet life. She works modest gigs, takes Pilates and mostly keeps to herself. Maybe it’s not the glamor she once envisioned, but it’s peaceful. Comfortable. Then a letter arrives, inviting Birdie to celebrate Harriet’s fifty-year career. Except Birdie hasn’t spoken to her in nearly thirty years—with good reason.
Almost famous, almost destroyed, Birdie can only make her own future if she reckons with her past—the fame, the trauma, the opportunities she gave up for a man who brought her into a life she wasn't ready for. Just like she’s not ready now. But the painful truth waits for nobody. Not even Birdie Rhodes.
Author Interview - Amy Rossi
Author I draw inspiration from:
The way Jami Attenberg crafts her characters always grabs me – you can’t go wrong with any of her books but All Grown Up has really stuck with me over the years. What Dawnie Walton does with form and drawing on popular culture in The Final Revival of Opal & Nev kept me rooted in my chair reading, rest of the world shut out. Megan Giddings’ work is a gift to us all and she has an incredible way of infusing humor into serious topics; The Women Could Fly is one of the books I recommend most. Emma Cline’s descriptions make me want to throw things out of joy and also be a better writer, or at least a better observer. And once I discovered Eve Babitz, I think I really discovered what it is I was trying to say. “You can't write a story about L.A. that doesn't turn around in the middle or get lost” is a quote I often reflect on.
Author Interview - Amy Rossi | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
Any place I’ve traveled to. The best vacations to me are part adventure and part sitting in front of a beautiful landscape with a book.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I’d like to be stuck with Cassandra Dankworth from Holly Smale’s book Cassandra In Reverse. She was such a charming, engaging character with a compelling perspective. I think she’d be a delight to talk to while we waited for rescue – or with her gift of rewinding time, she could prevent us from ever getting stuck in the first place!
Author Interview - Amy Rossi | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
When I was a kid, I would write continuations of books I especially loved so I could spend more time in those worlds. My mom would stock up on school supplies when they were on sale, so there was always a spare spiral notebook in the house for me to write in. I wrote all through high school and college – it was a part of who I was and how people knew me – and then I stopped for a while, and the longer I didn’t write, the harder it was to get back. I was afraid it was something I was no longer good at.
One day, probably some time around 2011, I was talking to my boss about my career progression. He asked what I really wanted to do, and I told him I wanted to be a writer. And he looked at me and said, “Rossi, if you want to be a writer, then write.”
It was very simple advice from someone I respected deeply and who understood artistic ambitions. That was the moment that I realized the only thing stopping me was me. I could either hold onto this piece of my identity like it was a lost thing or I could go after it. And I went after it.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I use all four! Hardbacks because I’m impatient and want the book immediately, and because they come with a built-in bookmark. Paperbacks are more portable (and hurt less if you drop them on your face while reading in bed…). It took me forever to start using ebooks, but after packing 8 books for a trip, I realized I needed a better way. Now I plan my library holds so they come in when I’m traveling. And I’m just dipping my toe in the world of audiobooks, but they’re perfect for marathon cooking and baking sessions. I recently spent an afternoon listening to Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik while making vareniki and empanadas.
The last book I read:
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis. I’ve never read a book like this, with a voice like this before. Younis made me laugh out loud and broke my heart, and I am already in line for her next book.
Author Interview - Amy Rossi | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I’m definitely a curled-up-in-the-corner-of-the-couch-with-a-laptop kind of writer. I’m sure the ergonomics of this are terrible, but it’s what I’ve always done. When it comes to revision, though, I’ll print out hard copies and go through with a pen and sticky note flags as many times as needed. Working with the hard copy helps me think about things differently – though my handwriting can get so messy as I’m scrawling an edit that I’ve occasionally had to ask for second opinions on my own notes.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Well, one cannot deny the perks of being best friends with Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona… I mentioned Jami Attenberg’s All Grown Up earlier, and I think I’d be best friends with Andrea Bern. I identified so much with her ambition, her ambivalence, her mess, and her approach to – and insistence on – living a full life that might not involve the traditional choices, and I think this would be the foundation for a great friendship.
Author Interview - Amy Rossi | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
It’s been suggested that I could sell my baked goods. If I weren’t an author, I would most likely turn my creative energies to pastry.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The 70s, for sure. Ruffle necklines, wrap dresses, halters, the hair. The draping, the colors. Faye Dunaway’s whole wardrobe in Network. Halston and Stephen Burrows – his dresses were a CELEBRATION. I will always gravitate toward any article of clothing that is even a little bit 70s-inspired.
Place I’d most like to travel:
I haven’t traveled outside of the US very much, and I’d really love to see all of the fascinating locations in the English countryside they’d visit in the early seasons of The Great British Bake-Off. My sister and I made a list so we can plan a dream trip. I’d also really love to go to Norway – my partner and I traveled to Swedish and Finnish Lapland last year. It was incredibly beautiful, and I’d love to see Norwegian Lapland as well. The takeaway here: I’m terrible at picking just one thing.
My signature drink:
For an alcoholic drink, you will most often find me with a glass of red wine or something tequila-based. For non-alcoholic drinks, it’s never too cold for iced coffee.
Favorite artist:
My friend and former roommate Sam (an incredible artist in her own right) introduced me to the world of Ed Ruscha. His text-based art has been a huge influence on my own work – those phrases just kind of light something up in my brain. The first time I saw his work, all I could think of was, oh yes, THAT, that’s for me.
And because I wrote a music book and I’m terrible at picking just one thing, I also want to share a couple favorite music artists as well: Kris Kristofferson and Guns N’ Roses, both of whom are the soundtrack to pretty much every big feeling I’ve ever felt.
Number one on my bucket list:
Holding my book in print feels like the obvious one, so I’ll say that as a person who is often inspired by classic rock songs, one thing I would absolutely love to do is see the Southern Cross constellation. “Because the truth you might be running from is so small, but it’s as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day,” to quote Stephen Stills in the song.
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/amyrossiwriter/
https://bsky.app/profile/mossyair.bsky.social
About Amy Rossi:
Author Interview with Amy Rossi
Amy Rossi received her MFA from Louisiana State University, and she lives in North Carolina, by way of Massachusetts, with her partner and two dogs. The Cover Girl is her first novel.
