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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. What is Nancy's son's nickname in "Pretty Nancy"?
(a) Gilligan.
(b) Captain.
(c) The Skipper.
(d) First Mate.

2. In "Some Women," what writer does Didion say is quoted as saying that talking about his novel was bad luck?
(a) George Orwell.
(b) Ernest Hemingway.
(c) Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
(d) Joseph Conrad.

3. Didion says that one of the pictures in her mind when she began her novel Play it as It Lays came from an incident in what city?
(a) Las Vegas.
(b) New York.
(c) Sacramento.
(d) Los Angeles.

4. In "Long Distance Runner," what word does Didion say Richardson often used when describing work?
(a) Magic.
(b) Serene.
(c) Holy.
(d) Impossible.

5. What does Nancy tell Joan is important to a man at the end of "Pretty Nancy"?
(a) Having a pretty wife.
(b) Having a pretty place to work.
(c) Having a home cooked meal waiting for him.
(d) Having a quiet place to work.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "Telling Stories," what does Didion say many publications gave as a reason for not publishing "When Did Music Come This Way"?

2. What year did Tony Richardson die according to Didion in "Long Distance Runner"?

3. Who is the star of the Tony Richardson film Didion cites at the start of "Long Distance Runner"?

4. In "Some Women," what does Robert Mapplethorpe say is present in the way he arranges things for his photo shoots?

5. In "Why I Write," Didion says she writes to understand what sorts of things?

(see the answer key)

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