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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When did Herbert Huncke meet William S. Burroughs?

2. What is Herbert Huncke's fictionalized name in Go?

3. When did Allen Ginsberg begin attending Columbia University?

4. What is the title of Neal Cassady's unfinished autobiography?

5. What excerpt of Gregory Corso's questions what it means to be Beat and if there is even such a thing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the exposition from the beginning excerpt of "On the Road." Who are the characters introduced?

2. Who is Micheal McClure? Describe his "Peyote Poem."

3. In his letters to Kerouac, what is Cassady's description of how he lost his old girlfriend Joan in Denver?

4. Describe William S. Burroughs' style in "Naked Lunch."

5. How do Cassady and Kerouac differ on their perspective of Cassady's childhood?

6. Who is Lawrence Ferlinghetti? What is his role in the Beat movement? What is his poem "Dog" about?

7. What does Ann Charters write about Carl Solomon in his biographical information? What is his work about?

8. What are Herbert Huncke's contributions in the anthology? On what subjects does he focus?

9. Describe Kerouac's depiction of the jazz band in the excerpt from "On the Road." To whom are they compared ?

10. Describe John Clellon Holmes' writing style. How does it compare with Kerouac's?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare the poems of Herbert Huncke in the text to the works of Allen Ginsberg. How do the writers differ in style? What themes and subjects are common?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the relationship between Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac, as illustrated in their letters. How do the two men regard one another?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the importance of the novel Go and John Clellon Holmes' impact on the Beat Generation. What was the response of the Beats upon Go's publication?

(see the answer keys)

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