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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. After relating the rant from the sportscaster, Bukowski says that _____ out of 60 men on the street are cuckoo.

2. In the letter Bukowski's ex-wife sends him, she says that he should attend poetry readings at which church?

3. What is the name of Bukowski's lady love in section seven?

4. Bukowski says in section eighteen that he last tried suicide in what year?

5. As section three begins, what instrument does Bukowski sit down to play?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain Jimmy Crispin's reasons for wanting to play baseball in section two.

2. Based on the foreword, describe the process by which this book came to be.

3. In section eight, what does Bukowski have to say about philosophers?

4. What experience does Bukowski have with the Jewish cleaners in section six?

5. Bukowski spends some time in the foreword detailing his thoughts about fame and reputation. Explain his sentiments.

6. What do Moss and Anderson decide in the course of their discussion about the laws of nature in regard to mating practices?

7. After leaving New York at the end of section six, what sentiments does Bukowski voice about the city?

8. To what does Bukowski compare the smell behind the curtain in section three?

9. In section sixteen, explain what event Red says he witnessed for which he was given a wallet to keep quiet.

10. What does the narrator finally discover about dying at the end of section thirteen?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In general, Bukowski writes autobiographically. Has he truly experienced everything he writes about? Or has he made a lot of it up? Write a persuasive essay arguing one way or the other, and be sure to include supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 2

In what ways is Bukowski perfectly suited to his column? Could he write it for a more traditional newspaper? In a well-developed essay, analyze three characteristics of Bukowski's personality that make this column the perfect outlet for him.

Essay Topic 3

What genre does Bukowski fit into? Do some research and define him, using stylistic examples from the text to support your paper.

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