1. What cheeky nickname did Mencken give Theodore Dreiser?
(a) The Clown Prince of prose.
(b) The Hindenburg of the novel.
(c) The Jack Ripper of the novel.
(d) The Frankenstein of the short story.

2. What moral choice faced Mencken and a cop on New Year's Day, in "Recollections of Notable Cops"?
(a) They learned about a corrupt policeman, and had to decide whether to turn the man in.
(b) A prostitute bribed the policeman.
(c) A man clearly beat his wife, but could not be technically arrested.
(d) A dead man was found with a large sum of money in his pocket.

3. Why was Theodore Dreiser compared to Franz Schubert by Mencken?
(a) Dreiser and Schubert exhibited an uncommon and sometimes perverse imagination.
(b) Dreiser and Schubert used whimsy, irony, and a sense of silliness.
(c) Dreiser and Schubert both created work that is "lighter than air."
(d) Dreiser and Schubert didn't know the theory of their arts, but nonetheless they produce valuable work.

4. What does Mencken state about the literary influence(s) of Theodore Dreiser?
(a) No one author can be pointed to as an influence.
(b) Dreiser draws upon the literary tradition of Germany.
(c) Dreiser was the product of Emile Zola.
(d) Dreiser was the product of Frank Norris.

5. According to Mencken, what kind of books did Theodore Dreiser produce?
(a) Weighty, substantial tomes that one must concentrate on for a long time.
(b) Breezy, summer-day reading.
(c) Books more important as museum pieces than texts that should be read.
(d) Wheezing, moralizing diatribes.