Bariloche is the story of a garbage collector from Buenos Aires obsessed with jigsaw puzzles and haunted by memories of first love. I was struck by the narrative’s dual focus of, on the one hand, actual deterioration (garbage) as it mirrors the protagonist’s spiritual depletion and physical exhaustion, and, on the other, the lyrical (represented in the rural scenes on the puzzles) as it parallels the protagonist’s idealized memories. I knew I wanted the cover to represent this polarity.

Till the Wheels Fall Off is the story of Matthew Carnap, newly returned to his hometown, looking back on his past and ruminating on love, connection, nostalgia, and grief as he attempts to come to terms with his strange childhood, much of which was spent in the company of his music-obsessed stepfather who owned and operated a roller-skating rink above the local fire station. Matthew and his stepfather, Russ, bond over their love of music.

How did you become a book cover designer?

From an early age, I wanted to become a writer (still do), and began submitting my work to journals and magazines in my twenties. In the process, I came to love the form of the literary journal. So, in 2008, I decided to start my own. I didn’t know anything about graphic design, and didn’t know any designers. But, over the course of a year or so, I taught myself enough to put together a first issue. Later, I began slowly picking up typesetting and design jobs here and there from contacts I’d made through the magazine and things progressed from there. By 2014 I was doing sufficiently well enough to quit my day job as a line cook.

“Every project feels like the first time,” says designer Alban Fischer, despite having designed over 300 covers in his career. Before the full translation of Sara Mesa’s novel, Four by Four, was even complete Fischer knew “it was right up my alley.”