> I've always thought that Roof Beam Carpenters was one of the stories where >Seymour is most present, given Buddy's reading of the journal. That's what I meant when I said "Loudly Absent". Seymour doesn't ever actually appear in the story as an active character, but he is very present throughout the piece--in his own form as well as, eh?, the Short Man. Brendan ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com