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Bird by Bird

Quiz

Context

Plot Overview

Character List

Analysis of Major Characters

Themes, Motifs & Symbols

Introduction

Part One: Writing

Part Two: The Writing Frame of Mind

Part Three: Help Along the Way

Important Quotations Explained

Key Facts

Study Questions & Essay Topics

Quiz

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Bird by Bird

Anne Lamott

Quiz

1. When did Lamott begin writing?

(A) In college

(B) After the birth of her son

(D) As a social worker

2. What is Lamott's advice for writer's block?

(A) To back off from the project at hand and live life

(B) To continue writing on any topic

(D) Both A and B

3. In Bird by Bird, Lamott writes about the deaths of all but which one of the following persons?

(A) Her father

(B) Brice

(D) Sam

4. The phrase “Bird by Bird” originates from which of the following?

(A) A hunting expedition

(B) A book on ornithology

(D) A child's toy

5. How does Lamott prefer to do research for a book?

(A) By using the internet

(B) By using the library

(D) By using encyclopedias

6. What does KFKD represent?

(A) The discouraging voices in a writer's mind

(B) A writer's response to criticism

(D) A stock Lamott bought years ago

7. Who is Carpenter?

(A) Lamott's husband

(B) Lamott's writer friend

(D) Lamott's agent

8. Lamott compares writing to everything except which of the following?

(A) Polaroids

(B) Gathering wool

(D) Charity

9. What was the title of Lamott's first book?

(A) Speak, Memory

(B) Hard Laughter

(D) Song of Solomon

10. Lamott uses index cards for what purpose?

(A) To note inspirations for her writing

(B) To remember beautiful moments

(D) All of the above

11. Lamott believes that every character possesses which of the following?

(A) A secret

(B) A single “emotional acre”

(D) Enemies

12. What is the most significant image from Lamott's essay on school lunches?

(A) Carrot sticks

(B) Remembering her son

(D) Learning more about her father

13. What example does Lamott use to illustrate the importance of plot treatments?

(A) Her editor's rejection of a book

(B) Finding the right agent

(D) Going to college

14. Lamott advises her writers that good writing must have which of the following?

(A) Religious overtones

(B) A sense of morality

(D) A happy ending

15. How does Lamott honor Brice?

(A) With a poem

(B) In church

(D) At a funeral

16. What is Lamott's view about writing groups?

(A) That they are dangerous

(B) That they are enjoyable

(D) That writers should use them only when absolutely necessary

17. How does Lamott deal with an overly critical student?

(A) She ignores her

(B) She agrees with her views

(D) She praises her for her honesty but advises her to speak less harshly in the future

18. How does Lamott feel about publication?

(A) That it is the pinnacle of the writer's career

(B) That it is a waste of time

(D) That only the truly gifted get published

19. Which proves most useful to Lamott when she is jealous of another author?

(A) Talking to friends

(B) Confronting the author

(D) Praying about her jealousy

20. What advice does Lamott give her students regarding libel?

(A) To warn people in advance if a character is based on them

(B) To change the race of the character

(D) To give male characters a small penis so that the person who inspired the character will be less likely to come forward

21. What did Lamott write on an index card to remind herself of her aunt?

(A) Brain cancer

(B) Make lemonade out of lemons

(D) The lemonade-making contraption

22. Lamott contacts the vineyard to what end?

(A) To find a rare vintage

(B) To learn the name of a part of a champagne bottle

(D) To learn about vineyards

23. Who counsels Lamott when she is disappointed by success?

(A) A pastor at her son's school

(B) Her pastor

(D) A therapist

24. What purpose does Lamott's one-inch picture frame serve?

(A) It holds a picture of Sam

(B) It was a gift from her father

(D) It holds her index cards in place

25. Lamott believes in which of the following?

(A) Short assignments

(B) Writing regularly

(D) Neither A nor B

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