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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. What kind of flowers does the author describe carrying through the streets of Rome in "Tomato on Board"?

2. What kind of dog does the author describe the man on the street cuddling with in the end of "Public Lying Down"?

3. How old was the author when he first saw the movie The Exorcist, according to his narrative in "Scat"?

4. When is the essay "My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life in the Sunshine" dated?

5. What does the author note about the wrapper of the candy in "Botan Rice Candy"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is setting important in the essay "Botan Rice Candy"? What settings are described in this essay?

2. What movie is described in "Filling the Frame"? How does the author describe this film?

3. What commentary does the author provide regarding the act of loitering in "Loitering"?

4. What is bindweed? How is it described in "Bindweed... Delight?"

5. What does the author describe happening to him and his brother in "Dickweed"?

6. What irony can be seen in the essay "Church Poets"?

7. What does the author say about exploitation in "Still Processing"?

8. What activity is the central subject in "Get Thee to the Nutrient Cycle!"?

9. What does the crow symbolize in "The Crow's Ablutions"?

10. How are the carrots described in "Pulling Carrots"? What do they symbolize?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's characterizations of the people around him in The Book of Delights. What individuals from the author's life are incorporated into the book? How are they described? How do these characterizations reflect upon the author's themes in the work?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's exploration of daily delights. How do the author's experiences of recording his observations of delight change his perceptions of joy? How does he feel about the action of sharing delights? How and why do delights appear to expand as he follows the process?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the education and career of author Ross Gay. Where did Gay grow up? Where did he attend college? What did he study? What works has he published prior to The Book of Delights?

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