“Terse profundity would be the phrase I would use were someone to pin me down and force me to describe this work by John Yamrus...This is poetry of short lines and simple wisdom, there is a touch of the Far East about the structure and minimalist philosophy that underpins them; there is no surreal baroque parade of language, these are sticks arranged subtly against a white wall.”
—Zack Wilson, Stumbles and Half Slips
“I read John’s newest book to the end in one sitting, then began re-reading. His words get in your head...you can’t stop with one poem, that simply won't do. It’s like a bag of your favorite flavor of potato chips or that first beer on Friday night after a damn hard week. You sink in to this book and devour it, you savor it. You sit back and wonder...why haven’t I written that before?”
—Diana Rose, The Highdra Syndicate
“Two major qualities prevail in Yamrus’ recent work: economy and punch. No word is unnecessary or out of place; the timing is impeccable; and, most difficult of all, the endings hit just the right balance of summation, revelation, and surprise.”
—Gerald Locklin, The Vampires Saved Civilization