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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. Who is quoted in describing a hallucination of a band of helpful Indians at the end of his three-day run of the John Muir Trail in "The Immortal Horizon"?

2. How old is John DeWitt described as in "The Immortal Horizon"?

3. The number of inmates in West Virginia is how many times the number in 1990?

4. What novel does the author say she cannot help but think of when looking at Lazarus Lake in "The Immortal Horizon"?

5. Who is the Aymara god of abundance?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Cat tell the author about the history of West Virginia in "Fog Count"?

2. What inspired the origins of the Barkley Marathons?

3. Who wrote Almost Home? How is it described in the book?

4. How does the author describe the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men?

5. Where do the Barkley Marathons take place? How is this setting described?

6. How is Blake Wood described in "The Immortal Horizon"?

7. What does "deus ex machina" mean and why does the author discuss it in "Lost Boys"?

8. What were the supplies that Julian took on the race in "The Immortal Horizon"?

9. What statement is the author making in "Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain"?

10. How is Pam Hobbs described in "Lost Boys"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme/motif of physical pain in The Empathy Exams. What are examples of physical pain as described in narratives by the author? How does physical pain relate to empathy? How does it differ in that relation from mental pain?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how empathy is explored thematically in "Lost Boys." How does the author describe different feelings of empathy for the victims' parents versus the parents of the accused? How does she describe her feelings of empathy for the accused themselves? What statements about empathy is the author making in this essay?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of female suffering as explored in "Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain." What are some examples from literature of female suffering presented by the author? What are examples from popular culture? What conclusions does the author reach regarding the depiction of female suffering?

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