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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through "Why I Write," "Telling Stories" .

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who built the castle Didion discusses in "A Trip to Xanadu"?
(a) William Randolph Hearst.
(b) Orson Welles.
(c) Henry Ford.
(d) William Butler Yeats.

2. How many people does Didion write in "A Trip to Xanadu" visited San Simeon annually?
(a) 1 million.
(b) 6,000.
(c) 185,000.
(d) 4 million.

3. Among what other items does Joan's rejection letter sit in a drawer at her mother's house in "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice"?
(a) Joan's journals and publications.
(b) Junk mail and old keys.
(c) Dead batteries and outdated electrical cords.
(d) Bridesmaid photographs and dried butterfly orchids.

4. Who does Didion say mainstream writers dine with at the end of "Alicia and the Underground Press"?
(a) Harrison Ford.
(b) President Kennedy.
(c) Henry Ford.
(d) Howard Hughes.

5. What year does "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice" first mention?
(a) 1925.
(b) 1968.
(c) 1952.
(d) 1934.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does one of the speakers in "Getting Serenity" say used to happen to him each time he passed Gardena?

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

3. What does Didion say she considered doing after receiving her rejection letter in "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice"?

4. In "Telling Stories," what does Didion say compelled her to try writing short stories again after 10 years?

5. What are the underground newspapers Didion describes in "Alicia and the Underground Press" able to do that mainstream papers are not?

(see the answer key)

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