The Deaf-Mute Uncle, Zen Detachment, and Communication
The bride's great-uncle, a.k.a. the deaf-mute, a.k.a. the man in the silk hat with the Havana cigar, is probably one of the most cryptic elements of "Roof Beam." Buddy is immediately drawn to this...
The Sick Artist
In "Seymour: an Introduction" Buddy discusses at length "the four variously notorious Sick Men," four guys he runs to when he wants "perfectly credible information about modern artistic processes"...
The Sappho Poem
See "What's Up With the Title?" for a detailed discussion of this poem and why it is important to "Room Beam" and "Seymour."