For Black of a Better Term Trivia Quiz

Answer: Animal welfare

Sewell was born in 1820 to an English Quaker family. Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell (1797-1884), was a successful author of children's literature and Anna helped her in editing. At age 14, Anna fell and gravely injured both ankles. Likely because of poor medical treatment, she was an invalid for the rest of her life, relying heavily on horse-drawn carriages for mobility, which certainly inspired the theme of "Black Beauty." Sewell never enjoyed good health. From 1871-1877, she was able to complete the novel only by way of dictation to her mother.

While she did see the enormous success of her work, Sewell died on 25 April 1878 only four months after its publication.

Answer: Dogs

The plots of these coming-of-age stories center around boys and their dogs. "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls (1913-1984), was initially rejected by both "The Saturday Evening Post" and "Ladies' Home Journal." In 1961, Rawls successfully resubmitted to the Post and DoubleDay published it as a novel in the same year.

The book only became a sales success after Rawls gave a lecture to a conference of teachers and librarians in 1967. "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson (1908-1973) was published in 1956 and in 1957 received the prestigious Newberry Medal for excellence in children's literature.

Answer: Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a Scottish physician who became far better known as an author. This story is the seventh of 12 in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", originally published in 1892 by the English periodical, "The Strand Magazine." Sherlock Holmes remains a popular character inspiring frequent adaptations in television and film.

Answer: Green

"Anne of Green Gables" was the first novel by the prolific Lucy Maud Montgomery(1874-1942), published in 1908. Prior to that, the native of Prince Edward Island had enjoyed success writing short stories for newspapers and magazines. Her character, Anne, appeared in a series of beloved novels. Perhaps Montgomery's most renowned fan is Kate, HRH Duchess of Cambridge, who insisted she visit PEI on her first royal tour of Canada.
W.H. Hudson (1841-1922) was born in Argentina and was a well published, self-taught naturalist with particular interest in ornithology. He moved to England in 1874 and published works on the bird life of Britain and South America. His novel "Green Mansions" (1904) is set in the jungles of Venezuela and tells of a romance between a European traveller and a native girl.
"How Green was My Valley" (1939) tells the story of a Victorian era Welsh coal mining family. This novel by British author Richard Llewellyn (1906-1983) won the American Booksellers Association's National Book Award of 1940 and later became a hit movie of the same name.

Answer: Scarlet

Hungarian author Baroness Emma Orczy (1865-1947) originally published "The Scarlet Pimpernel" as a play in 1903 and later adapted it into a successful novel in 1905. The novel is set during the French Revolution and protagonist, Sir Percy Blakeny, postures as a vapid socialite. In reality, he travels to France to rescue French aristocrats from the guillotine.
American Romantic author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) published "The Scarlet Letter" in 1850. He wrote novels and short stories most of which are set in New England and heavily influenced by Puritanical thought.

Answer: Father Brown

The works of Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) encompassed almost genre of literature: nonfiction, novels, poetry, short stories, plays and essays. This superb wit is well known for his Christian apologetics and the short stories of the Father Brown mystery series. "The Blue Cross" the first in the series, was published in 1910 in America's "The Saturday Evening Post" and in London's "The Story-Teller".

The character has enduring popularity inspiring numerous adaptations in radio, television and film.

Answer: Canadian Yukon

John Griffith Chaney was born in San Francisco in 1876. In 1897, he and his brother-in-law went to the Canadian Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. This experience provided the setting for several of his works. He adopted the nom de plume, Jack London, and began his literary career writing for magazines.

He accepted an assignment as a war correspondent in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, writing for "The San Francisco Chronicle." London's passion for travel and adventure resulted in poor health due to bouts of scurvy and various unknown tropical diseases.

He died on his California ranch in 1916 at the young age of 40.

Answer: The Gold Bug

Gothic Romantic author Poe (1809-1849) submitted "The Gold Bug" as his winning entry in an 1843 writing contest sponsored by the "Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper." The main character is bitten by a golden beetle and becomes obsessed with cryptogram that reveals a secret treasure.

The story was an instant success. Poe won $100 in the contest, one of the largest amounts he earned for his writing.

Answer: Bolstered evidence in his trial for gross indecency

Upon publication, outraged critics called the book immoral and degenerate due to its homoerotic references. At the time, homosexuality was a criminal offense. After their introduction in 1891, Wilde was besotted by Lord Alfred Douglas, a recklessly indiscreet aristocrat. Over the next few years, the pair were constant companions. Wilde lavished Douglas with attention and gifts. Douglas introduced Wilde to the clandestine world of working class gay prostitutes. Marquis of Queensberry, father of Lord Douglas, privately accused them of homosexuality but Wilde was always able to calm him and deny the charge.

In 1895, the Marquis left a calling card at Wilde's club addressed "For Oscar Wilde, posing Sodomite." Unwisely, Wilde sued Queensberry for libel. Wilde withdrew his suit when private investigators was produced evidence of Wilde's liaisons with male prostitutes.

However, this evidence resulted in Wilde's being charged with gross indecency. The novel was used a circumstantial evidence at the trial and Wilde was sentenced to two years hard labor.

While he and his wife Constance, had been estranged for some time, she never divorced Wilde. After his release in 1897, his health was severely compromised. He spent his last years in poverty and exile in France.

Answer: The Color Purple

Alice Walker's (1944-present) novel focuses on racism and sexism in 1930's rural Georgia. "The Yellow Wallpaper" (1892) is a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) and one of the first examples of feminist literature. "The Red Badge of Courage" (1895), set during the U.S. Civil War, is by Stephen Crane (1871-1900). All three of these works are noted for their groundbreaking realism. "The Blue Lagoon" published in 1908, is the first book of a trilogy by Irish naval physician, Henry De Vere Stacpoole (1863-1951).

It has been adapted into several screenplays.