James Daniels

Poet

Pittsburgh, PA

Pennsylvania US

Email:

Author's Bio

Jim Daniels has authored numerous collections of poetry and fiction, and four produced screenplays. He has also edited or coedited many anthologies. He is a recipient of two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and two from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. His books have won four Michigan Notable Book Awards, the Brittingham Prize for Poetry, the Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry, the Tillie Olsen Creative Writing Award, the Milton Kessler Award, and three Gold Medals in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, among others, and his films have won many awards in film festivals around the world. His work has been published in The Best American Poetry and Pushcart Prize volumes. He has read his poetry on Garrison Keillor's “Prairie Home Companion,” and his poems have been frequently featured on Keillor’s "Writer's Almanac." Poet laureates Billy Collins, Ted Kooser, and Tracy K. Smith have all showcased his writing as part of their work to bring poetry to average Americans: in Collins' Poetry 180 anthologies, Kooser's American Life in Poetry series, and on Smith’s poetry podcast, The Slowdown. During his long career, he has warmed up for singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, had his poem "Factory Love" displayed on a race car, and is sending poetry to the moon in 2021 as part of the Moon Arts Project. A native of Detroit, he currently lives in Pittsburgh and teaches in the Alma College low-residency MFA program.

Publications & Prizes

Anthology:

RESPECT: The Poetry of Detroit Music (Michigan State University Press, 2020)

Books:

Gun/Shy (Wayne State University Press, 2021)

The Perp Walk (Michigan State University Press, 2019)

Rowing Inland (Wayne State University Press, 2017)

Eight Mile High (Michigan State University Press, 2014)

Birth Marks (BOA Editions, Ltd., 2013)

Trigger Man (Michigan State University Press, 2012)

Having a Little Talk with Capital P Poetry (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2011)

From Milltown to Malltown (Marick Press, 2010)

Revolt of the Crash-Test Dummies (Eastern Washington University Press, 2007)

Street (Bottom Dog Press, 2005)

Detroit Tales (Michigan State University Press, 2003)

Show and Tell: New and Selected Poems (University of Wisconsin Press, 2003)

Night with Drive-By Shooting Stars (New Issues Press, 2002)

Blue Jesus (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2000)

Prizes won:

National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, 2005.

“Between Periods” included in Best American Poetry 2000.

Literary papers purchased by Special Collections, Michigan State University Library

Pushcart Prize (Best of the Small Presses) for “Day of the Two Bodies,” 1994.

Honorable mention, 2000, “Brown’s Farm.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowships in Literature, 1987,1990.

National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, 1985.

RESPECT: The Poetry of Detroit Music, Michigan Notable Book, 2020.

Rowing Inland, Finalist for the American Book Fest Best Book Award in Poetry, 2019.

The Middle Ages, Finalist for the Julie Suk Award Best Book of Poetry Published by a Literary Press, 2019.

The Middle Ages, finalist, Poetry, Foreword INDIES Book of the Year, 2019.

Rowing Inland, finalist, the Montaigne Medal, The Eric Hoffer Book Awards, 2018.

Rowing Inland, Honoree, Poetry, Society of Midland Authors Annual Literary Award competition for books published in 2017.

Challenges to the Dream: The Best of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Writing Awards at Carnegie Mellon University, Honorable Mention, Best Anthology, Foreword’s INDIES Book of the Year, 2018.

Street Calligraphy, finalist, Best Poetry, Foreword’s INDIES Book of the Year, 2018.

Rowing Inland, Finalist, Paterson Poetry Prize, 2018.

Rowing Inland, 2017 Michigan Notable Book of the Year, Library of Michigan.

Eight Mile High, finalist, Paterson Fiction Prize, 2015.

Eight Mile High, finalist, Foreword’s INDIE Book of the Year, 2015.

Eight Mile High, Silver Medalist, Best Regional Fiction, Independent Publisher Book Awards, 2015.

Eight Mile High, 2015 Michigan Notable Book of the Year, Library of Michigan.

Birth Marks, 2014 Milton Kessler Award for strongest collection of poems published in 2013.

Birth Marks, Best Poetry, Gold Medal, Independent Publisher Book Awards, 2014.

Birth Marks, Michigan Notable Book of the Year, Library of Michigan 2014.

Births Marks, Paterson Award for Literary Excellence, 2014,

Best Poetry, Gold Medal, Independent Publisher Book Awards, Having a Little Talk with Capital P Poetry, 2012.

Paterson Award for Literary Excellence for Having a Little Talk with Capital P Poetry, 2012.

First Place, Midwest Book Awards, Fiction: Short Story/Anthology, 2012, Trigger Man.

Best Regional Fiction Gold Medal, Independent Publisher Book Awards 2008: Mr. Pleasant.

Paterson Award for Literary Excellence for In Line for the Exterminator, 2008.

Revolt of the Crash-Test Dummies, Winner, Blue Lynx Poetry Prize, Eastern Washington University Press, 2006.

Street, winner of the Tillie Olsen Creative Writing Award for Book of the Year, Working-Class Studies Association, 2007.

Finalist, Paterson Poetry Prize, for Show and Tell: New and Selected Poems, 2004.

Bronze Medal, ForeWord Book of the Year Awards, Fiction-Short Story for Detroit Tales, 2004.

The Brittingham Prize for Poetry, 1985. Selected by C.K. Williams.

Signpost Press Chapbook Prize, 1980.

Film Awards

“The End of Blessings,” Special Jury Prize, Short Film, Buffalo International Film Festival, 2016.

“The End of Blessings,” Bare Bones Indie Filmmaker Spirit Award, Bare Bones Film Festival, 2016.

“The End of Blessings,” nomination, best micro-short, faith-based, Bare Bones Film Festival, 2016.

4th Prize (Director’s Choice Award), 35th Annual Black Maria Film Festival (an international touring festival of short films), for 2016.

“The End of Blessings,” winner, Best Editing; nomination, Best Short Film, Tampa Bay Undergroun Film Festival, 2015.

“The End of Blessings,” second place prize, competitive shorts program, Three Rivers Film Festival, 2015.

21st Indie Gathering Film Festival, Honorable Mention Award, August 11-14, 2016.

“Mr. Pleasant,” Honorable Mention, Narrative, Columbus International Film and Video Festival, November 16-20, 2011.

“Mr. Pleasant, Award of Merit, Short Film, Best Shorts Competition, La Jolla, CA, July 25, 2011.

“Mr. Pleasant,” Honorable Mention, Narrative Short, Los Angeles Reel Film Festival, July 20, 2011.

Indie Gathering Film Festival, August 27, 2011. “Mr. Pleasant,” 4th Place, Short Comedy/Drama.

Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, September 23, 2011.

Hell’s Half Mile Film and Music Festival, September 30 and October 2, 2011.

IFS (Independent Film Showcase) Film Festival, Honorable Mention, Best Ensemble Cast, March 22, 2012

“Dumpster,” Silver Medal, Best Film Under 75 Minutes, Everglades International Film Festival, South Africa, September 25, 2007.

“Dumpster,” “Best of the Rest” Award, 2007 DeReel Independent Film Festival, Australia.

“Dumpster,” Second Place, Drama, Secret City Film Festival, October12-15, 2006.

“Dumpster,” Programmer’s Award, Best Drama, Feature, South Padre Island Film Festival, September 20-24, 2006.

“Dumpster,” Best International Comedy, Mid-length, Calgary Fringe Film Festival, August 11-20, 2006.

“Dumpster,” First Place, Drama/Comedy, Feature, Indie Gathering Film Festival, August 4-6, 2006.

“Dumpster,” Honorable Mention, Beverly Hills Hi-Def Film Festival, December22-31, 2006.

"No Pets," Honorable Mention, 1995 Columbus Film Festival, Columbus, Ohio.

Watch

Five poems from Jim Daniels - 5/30/2015

More Information

Gives readings:

Yes

Travels for readings:

Yes

Prefers to work with:

Any, At Risk Youth

Born in:

Dettroit, MI

Michigan

Raised in:

Detroit, MI

Michigan

Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.

Last update: Jul 26, 2021