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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. What does Didion say she tried very hard to do while a student at Berkeley in "Why I Write"?

3. What tennis player's behavior did Richardson say was "glorious" accordion to Didion in "Long Distance Runner"?

4. What was Didion suffering from which became one of the images used in her novel A Book of Common Prayer?

5. What year did Tony Richardson die according to Didion in "Long Distance Runner"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. 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?

3. 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?

4. How does Didion describe the public image and perception of Hemingway in "Last Words"?

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

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

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

8. 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?

9. In "Telling Stories," what class did Joan discuss taking as a junior at Berkeley and how did she feel in that class?

10. In "Telling Stories," how does Joan describe what she learned about writing while working at Vogue?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choosing 3 essays from Let Me Tell You What I Mean, write a detailed analysis of tone. Include whether the tone changes or remains the same. If it changes, include details on when, why and whether this change is effective.

Essay Topic 2

Write a detailed analysis of Didion's views of the people in "Last Words" who published Hemingway's works after his death, and Oppenheimer from "Everywoman.com" who wrote a biography of Martha Stewart.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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