SUMMER, Donna (1948-2012). Manuscript, n.p., circa 1995.

17 leaves, many in recto and verso with additional notes on the inside cover. Spiral bound.

Donna Summer’s personal notebook featuring a list of her own compositions, including notes on her shares in the publishing, as well as numerous sketches used in planning one of her new homes. Her list of songs is topped with 'Dim All the Lights,' followed by 'Bad Girls,' 'Hard for the money,' 'I Feel Love,' 'Love to Love You,' 'On the Radio,' and many, many others. The manuscript includes an additional draft list of similar songs, but without notations on publishing shares. It also includes one unfinished 'Song,' which reads, "Love is a healin thing / every ones seen the dance. / Crowing together / neighbors peer out the window / whispering secrets as they go." The balance of the notebook is devoted to more domestic concerns—namely elaborate sketches for interiors for a home she had been planning to build. According to her family, Donna Summer, who thoroughly enjoyed making these plans (and revising them), also found that drawing offered a means for relaxation and reflection.
11 x 14 in. (35.5 x 28 cm.), overall