# Event Details - **Event Name**: Author Talk: Black Joy in the Urban Outdoors Panel Discussion - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 17 Jun, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Wed, 17 Jun, 2026 at 07:30 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: Join editor Desiree Cooper, as well as contributors Pamela Hilliard Owens and Lillien Waller, for a talk about their book Black Summers.About this EventThe Author Series Committee welcomes journalist Desiree Cooper for a jubilant discussion about Black Summers (Wayne State University Press, 2026), a collection of writings paying tribute to the urban outdoors through tales of Black resilience and joy across generations. Desiree, editor of and contributor to Black Summers, will be joined in conversation by contributors Pamela Hilliard Owens and Lillien Waller.Remember frolicking outside during the long, jubilant days of summer? This vibrant collection invites readers to breathe deeply and return to that "carefree" season. From riding bikes with friends through the neighborhood, to hopping the ferry to Boblo Island, catching catfish along the river, dancing on warm nights to Afrobeats and jazz music, and cooling off in the Swimmobile, those sun-drenched memories were often clouded by racism for the Detroiters in this evocative anthology. These emerging and award-winning creators of all ages recount the struggles and triumph of staking their claim to public spaces. Ranging from poetry to essay, creative nonfiction to comics, this collection blends nostalgia with struggle and resilience. Arising from the iconic city of the African American experience comes this exploration of Black joy in the urban outdoors.Other contributors, who will not be part of the panel discussion, include Tommye Blount, Justin Boggués, Isaiah Chambers, Esperanza Cintrón, Zig Zag Claybourne, Nandi Comer, Bridgett M. Davis, Kahn Santori Davison, Jean Alicia Elster, shannon garth-rhodes, D'Nae Hearn, Stephen Henderson, Charisma Holly, Xavier Jackson, Mic Jennings, Luther Keith, Angela Atabex Lugo-Thomas, MARS. Marshall, Chace Morris, Keith A. Owens, Kamron Reynolds, Brittany Rogers, Satori Shakoor, Renee Simms, Cassandra Spratling, Rochelle Wilson-Ellis.About Desiree: Desiree Cooper is an attorney and former Pulitzer Prize–nominated, Detroit Free Press columnist. Her first published short story, “Night Coming,” appeared in Detroit Noir (2007) and was later included in Best African American Fiction 2010, selected by Nikki Giovanni (2010). Since then, she has published two books with Detroit’s Wayne State University Press: her acclaimed collection of flash fiction Know the Mother (2016) and the picture book Nothing Special (2022), one of the New York Public Library’s "10 Best Children’s Books of 2022." Her essays and stories have been widely published, including in The New York Times, Oprah Daily, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Norton’s Flash Fiction America 2023. She has received three nominations for the Pushcart Prize. A 2015 Kresge Literary Arts Fellow, Cooper now lives in coastal Virginia, but remains a Detroiter at heart. descooper.comAbout Pamela: Pamela Hilliard Owens is a Detroit-based author, business coach, and creative solopreneur with more than 35 years of experience in education, sales, and marketing. After a long career in teaching and corporate leadership, she launched her first writing and editing business in 2008 and went on to found multiple companies supporting independent authors and entrepreneurs. She has worked with clients across numerous countries, providing services in writing, publishing, branding, and marketing. Owens is also a speaker, podcaster, and founder of a global creative community dedicated to helping professionals communicate effectively and build successful brands.About Lillien: Lillien Waller is an essayist and poet whose work often explores the relationship between art and experience and the intimate spheres of family life. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets, and she was a 2015 Kresge Literary Arts Fellow. She has shown interdisciplinary artwork at Wasserman Projects in Detroit (2019) and as part of Wayne State University Galleries’ public art series In the Air II (2021). In 2023, Waller received an Arts Writers Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. She writes regularly at The Dominant Sound on Substack. lillienwaller.comCopies of Black Summers will be available for purchase from Detroit's own Source Booksellers!This is not a ticketed event, which means seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Questions? Email msummers@detroitpubliclibrary.org. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/detroit/author-talk-black-joy-in-the-urban-outdoors-panel-discussion/100001987550141978 - **Event Categories**: Art, literary-art, Business, Entertainment, Music, trips-adventures - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Detroit - **state**: MI - **country**: United States - **location**: Main | Detroit Public Library - **lat**: 42.3585434 - **long**: -83.0667773 - **full address**: Main | Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Author Talk: Black Joy in the Urban Outdoors Panel Discussion - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/10d3811b631cfe85e4b6f918deaa9f80af80d208491b31aa6bb5fc337a61e667-rimg-w1200-h600-dcf8d685-gmir.jpg?v=1776319025 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Author Talk: Black Joy in the Urban Outdoors Panel Discussion being held? - **A:** Author Talk: Black Joy in the Urban Outdoors Panel Discussion takes place on Wed, 17 Jun, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Wed, 17 Jun, 2026 at 07:30 pm at Main | Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Author Talk: Black Joy in the Urban Outdoors Panel Discussion? - **A:** Author Talk: Black Joy in the Urban Outdoors Panel Discussion is organized by Main | Detroit Public Library. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Author Talk: Black Joy in the Urban Outdoors Panel Discussion", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/10d3811b631cfe85e4b6f918deaa9f80af80d208491b31aa6bb5fc337a61e667-rimg-w1200-h600-dcf8d685-gmir.jpg?v=1776319025", "startDate": "2026-06-17T18:00:00-04:00", "endDate": "2026-06-17T19:30:00-04:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/detroit/author-talk-black-joy-in-the-urban-outdoors-panel-discussion/100001987550141978", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Main | Detroit Public Library", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "5201 Woodward Avenue", "postalCode": "48202", "addressLocality": "Detroit", "addressRegion": "MI", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "42.3585434", "longitude": "-83.0667773" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Join editor Desiree Cooper, as well as contributors Pamela Hilliard Owens and Lillien Waller, for a talk about their book Black Summers.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-16", "availabilityEnds": "2026-06-17T19:30:00-04:00", "validFrom": "2026-04-16", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/detroit/author-talk-black-joy-in-the-urban-outdoors-panel-discussion/100001987550141978" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-16", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-16", "url": "https://allevents.in/detroit/author-talk-black-joy-in-the-urban-outdoors-panel-discussion/100001987550141978", "price": 0, "name": "Register for Reminders Here!" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Main Detroit Public Library", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/main-|-detroit-public-library/22506338", "description": "The Detroit Public Library enlightens and empowers people by providingDiverse andDynamicPathways toLiteracy andLearning.  The Library will be a vital force for promoting literacy, expanding the mind, creating opportunities for individuals and building community.If you require any further information about an event, please do not hesitate to contact the event organizer directly at the email provided for that event. 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