Fred Shaw of Pittsburgh City Paper is calling Jim Daniels' new poetry collection Birth Marks (BOA, 2013) "clear-sighted about the past, without nostalgia." According to the review, Daniels "seems most interested  in keeping memories of places (and their inhabitants) alive with a worldly reverence,"  as evidenced through the poet's choice of speaker: "a faithful son/friend and realist, unafraid to point out his own faults and others'. This, paired with the grittiness of his surroundings, makes the collection stand out." By setting his poems in such urban landscapes as Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Oakland, all places which have heavily influenced the poet, they hold strong "emotional resonance." "Daniels is playful with language, sometimes riffing on words and using free association to add a jazzy dynamic ... Birth Marks is full of the poetic elements necessary for an engaging read." Click Here to read the full Pittsburgh City Paper review. Birth Marks is available now at the BOA Bookstore.