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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 did Tony Richardson begin doing years before his death for "something to do" between film shoots?

2. In "Long Distance Runner," where is Richardson filiming in 1989?

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

4. In "Telling Stories," what does Didion say the writer of a short story needs to have that the writer of a novel does not?

5. In "Telling Stories," what Hemingway short story does Didion mention as an example of a writer's "absolute control" (54)?

Short Essay Questions

1. What brief moment at the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas worked into her novel Play it as it Lays?

2. What does Didion say about the title for her talk "Why I Write" at the start? From whom did she steal the title and what did she like about it?

3. What does Didion say about the first paragraph of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms in "Last Words"?

4. In "Last Words," what did Carlos Baker say with regard to why he thought it important to publish Hemingway's letters?

5. In "Some Women," what does Didion say about what artists do and do not like to talk about with regard to their art?

6. Why does Joan say she has "no talent" (54) for writing short fiction in "Telling Stories"?

7. What does Didion say of Richardson's often contrary behavior?

8. What example does Didion cite as proof that Hemingway did not want his letters to be published after his death in "Last Words"?

9. What does Joan say she learned to do when writing "When Did Music Come This Way," and what did that story allow her to do after it was complete?

10. In "Telling Stories," what grade does Joan say she received in 106A, and why does she think she got that grade?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay describing the way Joan Didion comes up with ideas for her novels as discussed in "Why I Write" and in "Telling Stories." Where does these ideas come from? How do they manifest in the final product.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing narrator reliability in Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Consider the reliability of the one's memory and possible biases one may bring to a piece. Use examples from Let Me Tell You What I Mean in your analysis.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about Didion's feeling about the underground press in "Alicia and the Underground Press." Use direct examples from the story that show the reader her views.

(see the answer keys)

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