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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. In "Long Distance Runner," what word does Didion say Richardson often used when describing work?

2. In "Telling Stories," what does Didion attribute to why she got a B in English 106A?

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

4. In "Why I Write," what does Didion say she "plays by ear" (44)?

5. Who wrote the script for "Hills Like White Elephants" discussed in "Long Distance Runner"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What character in A Book of Common Prayer developed from an image of the Panama airport at 6 a.m. that stayed in Joan's mind?

4. What does Didion say about Yoko Ono in "Some Women"?

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

6. In "Why I Write," why does Joan say she writes?

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

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 surprised Didion after Richardson's death upon reading his manuscript?

10. What does Didion say about the Milton class she had to take in order to graduate from Berkeley?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose a minimum of 3 essays and to write an analysis of Joan Didion's language style and word choice in Let Me Tell You What I Mean. What are some words that stand out to you and why? What words are repeated? What words are most impactful? Explain your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analysis the theme of artist and subject in Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Reference "Pretty Nancy," "Some Women," and "Last Words" in your analysis.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing narrative voice in Joan Didion’s Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Choose a 2 - 3 essays to use as an example of Didion's narrative voice. Include thoughts on how the narrative voice effectively conveys the themes in each story.

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