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

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

3. In "Why I Write," Didion refers to writing as "the tactic of a secret" what?

4. What mandatory class did Didion need to take at Berkeley before she could graduate?

5. What did Mary Hemingway allow Carlos Baker to do in his book published after Hemingway's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. What examples from writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Didion's own work does she cite as examples of artist superstitions?

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

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

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

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

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

8. What did Didion first think Run River was a story about, and what did it become?

9. Where did Didion attend photoshoots in her story "Some Women," and what does she say she noticed about the most successful shoots?

10. Describe the scene from "Long Distance Runner" when Didion and her husband arrive at St. Tropez to pick up their daughter.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Based on her essays in Let Me Tell You What I Mean ,write an analysis of Joan Didion. Consider who she is as a writer, what you know of her backstory, as well as who and what she likes and dislikes. Use textual evidence to support your analysis.

Essay Topic 3

Write a detailed analysis of Didion's feelings in "Last Words" regarding the posthumous publication of Hemingway's works and letters. Use direct examples from the story that show Didion's feelings.

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