Desiree Cooper’s Book Notes music playlist for her anthology Black Summers

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Hanif Abdurraqib, Andrew Sean Greer, Roxane Gay, and many others. The anthology Black Summers explores Black joy experienced in Detroit’s urban spaces through a magnificent variety of forms including essays, creative nonfiction, poetry, and comics. Ibram X. Kendi wrote of the book: “Magnificently curated by Desiree Cooper, this collection is full. Like summers growing up in the urban outdoors. Like the feelings of Black people navigating Detroit’s public space. In all its insightful recollections and creative variety, Black Summers is full of pleasure, of pain, of splendor, of struggle, of home.” In her own words, here is Desiree Cooper’s Book Notes music playlist for her anthology Black Summers: Sunshine and Shadow: The Songs of Black Summers:…