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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through "Some Women," "The Long Distance Runner," "Last Words" Part I.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "Telling Stories," what does Didion say compelled her to try writing short stories again after 10 years?
(a) The fear she would not write another novel.
(b) Her boredom with long prose.
(c) A lack of ideas.
(d) Her interest in portraying a window into someone's world.

2. In "Telling Stories," what does Didion say many publications gave as a reason for not publishing "When Did Music Come This Way"?
(a) Its depressive nature.
(b) The flat characters.
(c) Its lack of plot.
(d) Its poor structure.

3. What word does Joan use to describe the way things were back when she received her rejection letter compared to when she wrote What grade does Joan's friend get on the essay she wrote for him in "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice"?
(a) Intense.
(b) Silly.
(c) Old-Fashioned.
(d) Benign.

4. What mandatory class did Didion need to take at Berkeley before she could graduate?
(a) Hemingway.
(b) Shakespeare.
(c) Chaucer.
(d) Milton.

5. Who is Nancy's husband in "Pretty Nancy"?
(a) Richard Nixon.
(b) Frank Sinatra.
(c) George Bush.
(d) Ronald Reagan.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Some Women," what word is Mapplethorpe said to dislike regarding his art?

2. What is the name of the male character in A Book of Common Prayer which Didion discusses in "Why I Write"?

3. What term does Joan point out that her relatives uses when discussing where she sent her college applications?

4. In "Pretty Nancy," where does Joan say Nancy went to college?

5. Which friend of Hemingway and his wife does Didion mention at the start of "Last Words"?

(see the answer key)

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