Thanks for the kind words Monte.

I will comment in detail within the next couple of days. I'm off from work and have been thinking about some of these things myself recently.

I'm not sure how much Patrick ties in directly to Browning (is there a particular stanza you had in mind J and Y?) and I think a case could be made that the hoary cripple was Walter (which was in King's mind as early as the gunslinger based on the afterwards of the first three books).

Yes, the interconnectedness of life and art are certainly significant themes for King and particularly the DT Series (although Duma Key, Rose Madder, and the Dark Half immediately come to mind as well). Is it just the thematic relation to Browning typology that you are referring to J and Y, or is it a particular part of the poem? You mentioned Dandelo, and implied that Patrick fit some kind of chronology. I'd be extremely interested if you have something specifically from the poem to discuss.

Also, and this might refer to Maerlyn a little more specifically, but I think Patrick being able to erase the CK has to do with the CK not existing in bodily form (remember he killed himself before setting out for the Tower). I have a long argument I've been working on for several weeks and I'm not ready to spill it, but it is another way to think about Patrick's unique artistic gifts that don't tie him directly to Browning.

Anyways, more later I promise. Thank you J and Y for taking an invested interest in Browning. He doesn't get a lot of focus around here and that makes me and Woofer sad.