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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. From whom does Didion say she stole the title "Why I Write"?

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

3. In "Telling Stories," how many places had Didion lived by the time she took English 106A?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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?

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

Write an essay analyzing Didion's feminist commentary in "Everywoman.com." What aspects of the story come across as particularly feminist? How does this affect the narrative? Use textual evidence to explain your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the author of Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Who is she? What else has she written? How is Let Me Tell You What I Mean similar or different from her previous works?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing how Joan Didion's personal bias might influence her writing. Use the following stories as reference: "Everywoman.com," "Last Words," and "Long Distance Runner."

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