How We Are Hungry is a collection of short stories, many describing travelers of various kinds. There is also a certain quiet and restraint about many of the stories. Both of these themes are reflected in the cover design, which echoes the moleskin notebooks used by travelers and journalists throughout the 20th century; the black faux-leather cover and the elastic band echo this iconic notebook. This inspiration also provides an understated aesthetic—monochromatic cover, blind stamping, and so on—that is suited to the stories within.