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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 2.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which author would only write poetry when he was '...rather out of health'?
(a) Wallace Stevens.
(b) A.E. Housman.
(c) Osip Mandelstam.
(d) Jack London.

2. Saint-Pol-Roux used to hang what sign on his door while he slept?
(a) "Do not disturb."
(b) "Resting is writing."
(c) "Dream in progress."
(d) "The poet is working."

3. How many hours of sleep would Jack London usually get?
(a) Four.
(b) Eight.
(c) Two.
(d) Seven.

4. What do experienced writers urge young men and women to learn, according to Chapter 1?
(a) A useful trade.
(b) Shakesperian plays.
(c) How to spell.
(d) Word definitions.

5. How does Dillard describe the process of writing a book?
(a) "It is a dreamlike task."
(b) "It is something to avoid at all costs."
(c) "It is boring and difficult."
(d) "It is life at its most free."

Short Answer Questions

1. Dillard believes that some writers weaken their resolve to discard parts of their work. Why?

2. In the life of a Danish aristocrat mentioned in Chapter 2, what did he do for most of the day?

3. How did Dillard get into the library in Roanoke late at night?

4. Oftentimes, what part of Dillard's work must be edited out?

5. Which author would walk through the hills for seven or eight hours on end without a hint of fatigue?

(see the answer key)

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