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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. What does the narrator of "Music for Lovers" think the source of his daughter's headaches is?

2. Where does Glen ask Drew to put the telephone in order to help him remember his dream in "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter"?

3. Who is Mr. Chatam in "My Manuscript"?

4. Why does Margery attend AA meetings in "We Get Along"?

5. What is Glen's initial impression of Drew Pierson in "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe The Sportsman in "We Get Along".

2. Describe the narrator of "Parade"'s relationship with Bruce Springsteen (from his perspective).

3. What is Chad's relationship with Terry Glassman in "My Manuscript"?

4. Describe Chad's father's childhood in "My Manuscript".

5. What insults does the narrator of "The Last You'll Hear From Me" hurl at Annette and Randy?

6. Describe the scene at Barbra Streisand's house in "Don's Story".

7. How does the narrator of "Parade" describe Patrick Buchanan?

8. What is the genre of "Don's Story"? How is it a "spoof" on an actual piece in this genre?

9. What does Glen dream about in "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter"? What does he tell Drew he dreamed about? Why?

10. In "We Get Along", what does the narrator think the initials W.S. stand for? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Violence figures heavily into some of the stories in the collection. Choose two of the stories that include strong examples of violence and:

1) explain how violence is portrayed in the story,

2) describe the impact violence has in the story, and

3) explain what you think the author is trying to say about violence through this story.

Be sure to use specific examples from the stories to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Imagine if one of the stories in this collection was missing from it. Choose one of the stories and "remove" it from the collection. Write an essay:

1) explaining the role that the story plays in the collection,

2) describing how the novel would be different without the story, and

3) comment on the quality of the book without the story: Would it be better or worse? Why?

Be sure to use specific examples from the stories to support your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

Two of Sedaris' stories in "Barrel Fever" ("The Last You'll Hear From Me" and "Don's Story") are written as speeches. In your essay,

1) discuss how speeches are typically used by people,

2) discuss how Sedaris uses the genre of speech in each of these stories, and

3) analyze the statement the author is trying to make about the genre of speech.

Be sure to use evidence from the stories to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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