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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 did Dillard's study carrel in the Hollins College library overlook?

2. Who did Dillard see standing at the chess table in the Roanoke library one night?

3. What does Dillard say many people prefer to the written word?

4. What was knocking on the carrel window as Dillard worked in Roanoke?

5. What did Dillard do one night in the rare book room of the Virginia library?

Short Essay Questions

1. Dillard describes the scenes from her desk at the library in Virginia. Why does she say these scenes are detrimental to her work?

2. When Dillard heard a June bug bumping up against the carrel window one night, what did the noise bring her to realize?

3. What is the most appealing schedule that Dillard says she knows?

4. Why does Dillard believe a writer often wants to refrain from throwing away the beginnings of the work she has created?

5. What analogy does Dillard use to explain how a book leads its writer on?

6. When Dillard glanced in the daylight at one of the stacks of books she regularly touched to feel her way at night, what surprised her?

7. When the cab driver in New York sang songs with Dillard, why did he sing one dull song twice?

8. How does Dillard say that she defines the meaning of schedules, in Chapter 2?

9. What, outside Dillard's library window, proved to cause the most distraction to her work?

10. Dillard vows to remember her difficulties writing in Roanoke, Virginia. Why is this ironic?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dillard states that "Appealing workplaces are to be avoided."

1. Why might this be true?

2. How does Dillard know this to be true for her?

3. What should a writer's workplace consist of, and why?

Essay Topic 2

Dillard has problems with her writing throughout the book. She cannot concentrate, gets distracted, and cannot produce anything on some days. How did Dillard overcome her problems? What led her to better understand herself and the work she does?

Essay Topic 3

Dillard taped up her pen drawing of the scene outside her window to the venetian blinds. Explain how this helped her concentrate on her work.

What was missing in the drawing of the scene that was really outside the window? Why wasn't it enough for her to just close the blinds?

(see the answer keys)

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