Warren is an alias for the Buddhist poet Philip Whalen. Warren is ’s friend from college who frequently attests to Japhy’s brilliance and attends most of the parties that recounts throughout the book. He mostly appears in the background of the novel, serving to reinforce Japhy’s mythic status in Ray’s eyes. But while meditating in North Carolina, Ray also remembers Warren as a characteristically thoughtful and gentle soul, whose serene personality embodies the teachings and highest values of Buddhism.