"The snows of John's first book, Snow and Other Guises, have not melted in Holding Out nor have the guises' been completely peeled away to see what lies beneath.  The poet seems to confirm, in his second book, that both snows and guises are necessary because real, not to be resolved by words no matter how hypnotic or 'poetic'."
     — Daniel Sloate 

Snow and Other Guises
by John L. Falk

“These poems range from elegiac to whimsical, from tongue-in-cheek analysis of human foibles and predicaments to angry denunciations of claptrap and hypocrisy. The themes are the ones we expect from a good poet: life, death, love, joy. Not one rant about politics will be found here, not one anecdotal portrait of parents, not one poem on the 'burnt toast' crisis between couples! Truly a rare treat for the modern reader of poetry.

The images associated with snow are pervasive; they serve the poet as a metaphorical signature, personal and unique. Just one of the many touches in this poetic universe which make it memorable, with echoes that remain long after one has closed the book. For all of us who like to reflect when we read a poem, these pages are a joy for the mind.”
      — Daniel Sloate