An interview with Rufi Thorpe, author of "Margo's Got Money Troubles"

Have you started watching Margo's Got Money Troubles (out now on Apple TV)? What do you think? I was already a huge fan of Elle Fanning, but consider me a newly minted member of the Michelle Pfeiffer fan club. Also, the soundtrack is soooo good.

Last year, I interviewed Rufi Thorpe, the author whose novel the show is based on. (Btw, if you haven’t read the book…please consider this a sign to read it! Such a good one to break out of a reading slump with.) In light of the show's recent premiere, I'm republishing our full interview below, out from behind the paywall. Enjoy!

—Alisha

I’ve been recommending Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe to just about everyone who asks what they should read next. It’s a rare gem of a book that perfectly balances heart and humor, featuring a main protagonist you’ll want to root for.

In this conversation, I chat with Rufi Thorpe about how she researched OnlyFans without being weird about it, why pro-wrestling memoirs turned out to be unexpectedly useful, the bookstore café biscuit that altered her brain chemistry, and her strong opinions on Chappell Roan. It’s a sharp, generous, and very entertaining chat.

If you’ve read Margo already, I’d love to know where it landed for you. And if you haven’t, consider this your nudge.

A chat with author Rufi Thorpe

Hi, Rufi! For readers who haven’t read your new book yet, can you please give us a teaser about what it’s about?

The book follows Margo, who has money troubles indeed! She is a community college student who gets knocked up by her English professor, keeps the baby, and supports herself with an OnlyFans account. Her dad, an ex-pro-wrestler fresh out of rehab, moves in and helps with childcare. His wrestling insights help her account take off, which is of course when all the real trouble begins.

Your book has such a unique and fresh concept. What inspired it?

For years, I dreamed of writing a sex-worker mother character, taking the Madonna/Whore complex and attempting to fuse them into one figure. But it seemed impossible for so long because the cultural stigma against sex work is so strong, and the pedestal we put mothers on is so vertiginously high. When OnlyFans started to blow up, I noticed people were talking about it in a much less judgmental way, and I thought: Here’s my chance!

The biggest question that came up for me in reading this book was what did the research look like for it? You get into a lot of specifics about pro-wrestling and how creators on OnlyFans build audiences. Were you just…on OnlyFans a whole lot?

I really was! I wrote this during the pandemic, while overseeing Zoom kindergarten, so spending time on the site felt wonderfully subversive, like my artistic life was still alive. There wasn’t a way to get the information I needed just by sliding into girls’ DMs, as you can imagine—everyone and their dad is trying to slide into their DMs. So, I would send a $50 tip and a message on OnlyFans, explaining I was a novelist and asking if they would answer questions for money. Some were interested, some weren’t. It was a long and super fascinating process.

With wrestling, I got obsessed almost coincidentally at this time. At first, I didn’t think it would go in the book, but there is this wonderfully rich tradition of wrestlers writing memoirs, and the stories are OFF THE CHAIN. I was just reading one after another like candy.

Your book is being adapted into a series by Apple, starring Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer. What are you most excited about in this adaptation?

I mean, the whole thing is just so surreal. I think because it’s becoming a series instead of a movie, there will be more space to expand. I hope they are able to really bring in the larping! I had it all set up; it’s right there, but I could never make it relevant enough to the plot to fully bring it in. I’m hoping they can in the show. I want to see Suzie’s orc boyfriends around the apartment, you know?

Who are your top literary influences?

Nabokov, John Irving, Shirley Jackson, and James Baldwin shaped me growing up. In terms of writers writing now who I admire and feel an artistic kinship with: I’m such a huge Jane Smiley fan; I just think she’s incredible, and Kevin Wilson is a big favorite for me too—I would read his grocery list.

Any current pop culture obsessions?

I’m into Chappell Roan right now, much to the dismay of my children, who keep begging me to return to our usual rap-only playlists and stop playing “Pink Pony Club.”

I’m obsessed with historical cooking content, especially Tasting History with Max Miller. He has an amazing YouTube channel and a great cookbook that I love. I’ve been making “Napoleon’s favorite chicken dish.”