Julio (Klown) Santiago, an American, arrives late, like a guest whose speedy mocking gestures and fast feet make him a wry observer.

Shaftoe enters the control room, accompanied by Root, who will apparently serve as translator, spiritual guide, and/or wry observer.

In this uncharacteristic mode, the author of "M. Butterfly" proves to be a wry observer of contemporary mores and racial stereotypes.

Still, Mr. Freeman makes Henry a quietly wry observer of filmmaking.

Lee Feldman is one such wry observer, a fine lyricist and whimsical singer whose songs recall Broadway and underground rock.

He may have started as a wry observer of his fellow New Yorkers, but he ended up as a comic philosopher.

He prefers to be a wry observer.

But he is also a wry observer of the human condition, though at a quiet distance.

Elmore Leonard's latest book features a cool operator with a laid-back style, a wry, sneaky observer of human nature.

Mr. Lonergan is a masterly storyteller and a wry observer of the compromise and corruption that rules society.