Emma Smith-Stevens’s Book Notes music playlist for her story collection Greyhounds

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. Emma Smith-Stevens follows up on one of my favorite novels of the century, The Australian, with the surprising and powerful story collection, Greyhounds. Booklist wrote of the book: “In one particular standout, “Neighbors,” a widow watches her neighbor, who struggles with hoarding disorder, find meaning and joy in rehabilitating retired greyhounds but can’t resist sabotaging that happiness. Threaded with dark humor and rendered with incisive prose, these stories will resonate with fans of Kristen Roupenian (You Know You Want This, 2019) and Marie-Helene Bertino (Exit Zero, 2025).” In her own words, here is Emma Smith-Stevens’s Book Notes music playlist for her story collection…