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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 the essay "How to Succeed at _______ Without Really Trying", Bangs claims that he is not still fighting with Lou Reed.

2. Bangs states in "All My Friends are Hermits" that he wants to have sex with this woman surrounded by ______.

3. Bangs believes that Laughner bought into a rock culture that celebrates ______, and Bangs subsequently denounces that culture.

4. Part of the woman's tactics to get the young man to leave includes ______.

5. The excerpt from "Maggie May" is a fictional piece that was inspired by the song written by ______.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Bangs do in order to go see the Tangerine Dream laser show at Avery Fisher Hall in New York?

2. What does Bangs conclude about the performances of Pop when he sees the show at the beginning of this chapter?

3. What do the man and the woman realize about themselves and about the things they share in common?

4. What are the opinions of the Lou Reed album, "How to Succeed in Torture Without Really Trying," including Bangs' opinion?

5. Why does Bangs think it is pointless to get bogged down in who created a musical style?

6. What does Reed have to say about Iggy Pop when he is first being interviewed by Bangs in this section?

7. What happens when a person buys the fictitious Rolling Stones album that Bangs describes in this section?

8. Why does Bangs believe that Elvis was able to be a rebel without being an outcast?

9. What does Bangs argue about the music that Lou Reed makes when it is good?

10. Why is it difficult for Bangs to see Elvis as a tragic character in the music world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bangs seems to be irreverent in much of his writing, deciding to use different voices for different topics.

Part 1: Why do you think Bangs uses different voices in different columns?

Part 2: Do you think it's better to have a consistent voice or to have different voices?

Part 3: How do you think you would speak if you were writing a music column versus a traditional column?

Essay Topic 2

Bangs discusses himself and his life as well, as though it connected to the music lifestyle.

Part 1: Do you think it's self-indulgent to talk about oneself as a writer?

Part 2: Why do you think Bangs decides to share some personal information about himself?

Part 3: Do you think readers would respect Bangs more if he shared less of himself and of his life?

Essay Topic 3

Bangs is a music critic, someone who is paid to talk about his opinions about music, which sometimes are stilted and unbalanced.

Part 1: Do you think a music critic should try to be more balanced in their writing?

Part 2: Do you agree with most of Bangs' ideas about music?

Part 3: How do you think a music critic is able to criticize music without letting their own tastes get in the way? Is this possible?

(see the answer keys)

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