View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Dillard lacked sufficient energy for writing one morning in Chapter 3, what does she say she did to try and get it?
(a) Played the recorder.
(b) Split some wood and smoked.
(c) Ran a few miles and ate.
(d) Smoked and drank coffee.

2. Referring to a new idea, who said, 'Cheep--and all at once there it is'?
(a) Einstein.
(b) Boehme.
(c) Stevens.
(d) Wilder.

3. Why was Dillard's finger in pain at times as she wrote in the university office in Virginia?
(a) Her fingers cramped up from writing for so long.
(b) She spilled hot water on her fingers once in a while.
(c) She got paper cuts.
(d) She had a clothespin stuck to her finger until the water boiled.

4. Thornton Wilder cited an unnamed writer of sonnets as saying only one line drops from where?
(a) A chicken.
(b) The ceiling.
(c) A hammer.
(d) A whisper in the ear.

5. What is the topic of an essay written by Dillard that she said she considers too obscure and too intellectual?
(a) A moth.
(b) Lions.
(c) A mustang.
(d) Popcorn.

6. What did Dillard learn about herself while talking with the sheriff in Chapter 3?
(a) She didn't know why she avoided writing.
(b) She should be running a ferryboat.
(c) She would one day die.
(d) She learned things by writing.

7. What does Dillard say that she believes a writer should aim for when writing?
(a) The wood.
(b) The scraps of wood.
(c) The axe.
(d) The chopping block.

8. Who watched Dillard chop wood every morning in Washington?
(a) Holly and Frederick.
(b) Doe and Bob.
(c) Conrad and Brian.
(d) Small animals.

9. Who did Dillard get a visit from in Chapter 3 that was eye-awakening for her?
(a) The mail carrier.
(b) A writers' group.
(c) Two local neighborhood boys.
(d) A volunteer EMS worker.

10. What does Dillard say that she remembers seeing on the island at Haro Strait that made her weep on the shore in fear?
(a) A fire on Stuart Island.
(b) The sea in a winter storm.
(c) A man out in a rowboat at night.
(d) The island beach dropping to the ocean floor suddenly.

11. Who did Dillard's neighbor, Glenn, tell her about when she returned to the island in late June?
(a) Nicholas Ferrar.
(b) Ferrar Burn.
(c) Bill Ferrar.
(d) Ferrar Fenton.

12. What happened to the Smith-Corona typewriter in Chapter 4?
(a) It erupted with smoke and fire.
(b) The cord sent out sparks.
(c) The rumbling damaged it beyond repair.
(d) It fell from the desk and broke.

13. Why did Dillard refer to a Zulu warrior and an Aztec maiden in Chapter 3?
(a) As an idea for a writing theme.
(b) To compare writers to religious icons.
(c) As an analogy for readiness and preparation.
(d) To show what an author is like.

14. What does Dillard say that she believes may well be a writer's only firsthand experience?
(a) Travel.
(b) College.
(c) Childhood.
(d) Friendships.

15. What does Dillard say that she thinks an artist supposes a live image to possess?
(a) A confused set of lines.
(b) Something he should pretend to know.
(c) A secret to be discovered.
(d) Some technique stolen from him.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who once said that '..his firewood warmed him twice because he labored to cut his own'?

2. What written advice was found that Michelangelo had left for his apprentice?

3. Which poem did Dillard often read aloud?

4. How did Dillard's sentence ('He led him into the water') from the book she was working on during a northeaster sound to her?

5. How does Dillard say that she defines the life of the writer in Chapter 3?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 598 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample