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Been Down So Long Trivia Quiz

This quiz is about a work that became something of a cult phenomenon in the 60s, and its author, Richard Fariña. Contains spoilers!

A multiple-choice quiz by austinnene. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
austinnene

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
369,279

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
118

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The title of this quiz is the first part of the title of a book written by Richard Fariña and published in the US in 1966. What is the rest of the title? Hint

Can't Stand Up

It Looks Like Up to Me

The Grass Looks Tall

Don't Want to Get Up

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Question 2 of 10

2. What was Fariña's "day job" when he wrote the book? Hint

He was waiting tables in San Francisco.

He was a professor of Elizabethan poetry.

He was a travel agent.

He was involved in the folk music scene in Greenwich Village.

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Question 3 of 10

3. What is the book about? Hint

A young man's struggle with racial oppression in 1950s Alabama.

The author's struggle with addiction to amphetamines, or "uppers".

A young man's experiences over several months in a college town and in Cuba.

The author's struggle with tranquilizers, or "downers".

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Question 4 of 10

4. The book's protagonist had a pretty unusual (for an American) name. What was it? Hint

Feliciano Pop

Darius Fouchelemart

Gnossos Pappadopoulis

Emiliano Tettrazini

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Question 5 of 10

5. Our hero fell in love with a coed. Did they live happily ever after? Hint

Yes, it's the one bright spot in an otherwise chaotic and depressing existence.

Yes, they eloped to Mexico at the end of the book.

No, she died in Cuba.

No, she gave him the clap.

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Question 6 of 10

6. The protagonist died at the end of the book.

True

False

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Question 7 of 10

7. The book was based on Fariña's experiences at which institute of higher learning? Hint

Harvard University

University of California-Berkeley

Parsons School of Design

Cornell University

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Question 8 of 10

8. Fariña was married to an artist whose sister achieved great fame. Who was his famous sister-in-law? Hint

Mary Travers

Joan Baez

Jayne Mansfield

Diane Arbus

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Question 9 of 10

9. In addition to his connection by marriage to a famous family, while in Greenwich Village Fariña became good friends with a future giant of the music business. Who was it? Hint

Pete Seeger

Joni Mitchell

Phil Collins

Bob Dylan

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Question 10 of 10

10. The book was its author's only published work. Why? Hint

He was killed in an accident immediately following its publication.

He made enough from its sales to retire.

He finished college and went on to work as an engineer.

He found the publishing field to be a "good ol' boy" network and disdained it.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The title of this quiz is the first part of the title of a book written by Richard Fariña and published in the US in 1966. What is the rest of the title?

Answer: It Looks Like Up to Me

The title is not original with Fariña--the phrase was in a blues song from 1928.

2. What was Fariña's "day job" when he wrote the book?

Answer: He was involved in the folk music scene in Greenwich Village.

Farina acted as agent for his first wife, Carolyn Hester, who was a folk singer, in the early 60s. Following their divorce and his remarriage, he and his second wife released three albums of folk/protest music. Farina was reportedly a very talented performer.

3. What is the book about?

Answer: A young man's experiences over several months in a college town and in Cuba.

The book, characterized as a comedy by reviewers, covers the protagonist's adventures out West, in a college town, and in Cuba. It covers all the aspects attributed to life in the 60s -sex, drugs, protests against the establishment- and features the hero's search for (what else?) truth and freedom from hypocrisy.

4. The book's protagonist had a pretty unusual (for an American) name. What was it?

Answer: Gnossos Pappadopoulis

He was nicknamed, thankfully, Paps.

5. Our hero fell in love with a coed. Did they live happily ever after?

Answer: No, she gave him the clap.

Gnossos had it bad for the lovely Kristin. She had a pregnancy scare and they contemplate marriage, but she became involved with another man AND she infected Paps with venereal disease. So much for happily ever after...

6. The protagonist died at the end of the book.

Answer: False

A close friend of his, Heffalump, was shot and killed but our hero comes out alive.

7. The book was based on Fariña's experiences at which institute of higher learning?

Answer: Cornell University

Fariña attended Cornell, but dropped out shortly before he was due to graduate. While there, he became close friends with writer Thomas Pynchon, a fellow student at the time.

8. Fariña was married to an artist whose sister achieved great fame. Who was his famous sister-in-law?

Answer: Joan Baez

Fariña's second wife was Mimi Baez, the younger sister of Joan Baez. She was only 17 when they married. Mimi Baez Fariña died in 2001 of cancer.

9. In addition to his connection by marriage to a famous family, while in Greenwich Village Fariña became good friends with a future giant of the music business. Who was it?

Answer: Bob Dylan

Their friendship is documented in David Hajdu's book, "Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña, and Richard Fariña".

10. The book was its author's only published work. Why?

Answer: He was killed in an accident immediately following its publication.

Fariña died just two days after the book was published. He had gone to a party for his wife's birthday, and one of the people there had a motorcycle. They went for a ride; on a turn the driver lost control of the bike, it crashed, and Fariña was killed instantly.

Source: Author austinnene

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