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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 one of the newspapers that the author lists as one of the few that do not make her feel as though "the oxygen has been cut off from [her] brain tissue" (20)?
(a) The EastSide Reporter.
(b) The Wall Street Journal.
(c) The San Francisco Chronicle.
(d) The New York Times.

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

3. In "Why I Write," Didion says she writes to understand what sorts of things?
(a) The universe.
(b) Humanity.
(c) Other people's emotions.
(d) Her fears and desires.

4. What type of flower does the TV newsman suggest Nancy pick in "Pretty Nancy"?
(a) Tulips.
(b) Roses.
(c) Daffodils.
(d) Rhododendrons.

5. In "Some Women," what word is Mapplethorpe said to dislike regarding his art?
(a) Unexpected.
(b) Boring.
(c) Shocking.
(d) Outrageous.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is F. Scott Fitzgerald quoted as calling Hemingway in a letter to Maxwell Perkins in "Last Words"?

2. How old is the man who speaks second in "Getting Serenity" who states that the city has "destroyed" (23) him?

3. What issue plagued Hemingway by the time he was at the height of fame according to Didion in "Last Words"?

4. Who is Nancy's husband in "Pretty Nancy"?

5. In "Some Women," what writer does Didion say is quoted as saying that talking about his novel was bad luck?

(see the answer key)

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