Quotes From American Authors [2] Quiz

Answer: Truman Capote

The quote is from "In Cold Blood", by Truman Capote (1924-1984). First published in 1966, it is a work of nonfiction detailing a quadruple murder that occurred in 1959 Kansas. Capote is probably most widely known for his 1958 novella, "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

Answer: Margaret Mitchell

The quote is from "Gone With the Wind", by Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949). It was first published in 1936 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. It was then made into an Academy Award winning film in 1939. The film starred Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh. Mitchell worked as a writer for the Atlanta Journal before her only novel was published.

Answer: Henry David Thoreau

The quote is from "Walden", by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862). It was first published in 1854. It is based on his experiences while living in seclusion for two years in the woods near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. He became known as a major figure of the American Transcendentalism movement. Another famous work by Thoreau is his 1849 essay titled "Civil Disobedience".

Answer: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The quote is from the poem "Paul Revere's Ride", by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). It was first published in 1861. It was based on the 1775 actions of American patriot Paul Revere in which he rode on horseback to warn the colonists of the British troops' arrival before the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Other notable works by Longfellow include "The Song of Hiawatha" and "Evangeline".

Answer: Jack Kerouac

The quote is from "On the Road", by Jack Kerouac (1922-1969). It was first published in 1957. It was based on his own adventures while road-tripping across America. He was a central figure of what became known as the "Beat Generation". Other notable works by Kerouac include "The Dharma Bums", "Mexico City Blues" and "Big Sur".

Answer: Kurt Vonnegut

The quote is from "Slaughterhouse-Five", by Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007). It was first published in 1969. Fate versus free-will is a major theme of the novel. Other notable works by Vonnegut include "Cat's Cradle" and "Breakfast of Champions".

Answer: F. Scott Fitzgerald

The quote is from "The Great Gatsby", by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940). It was first published in 1925. It is considered to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th Century. Other notable works by Fitzgerald include "This Side of Paradise" and "The Beautiful and the Damned".

Answer: Sylvia Plath

The quote is from the poem "Kindness", by Sylvia Plath (1932-1963). It was written in 1963. It was published in 1965, with a collection of her work, in a book titled "Ariel". Many of the poems in that book were dated within the last few weeks of her life.

Other poems in that book include "Lady Lazarus", "Ariel", "Tulips" and "The Munich Mannequins". Plath also wrote a novel called "The Bell Jar".

Answer: Tennessee Williams

The quote is from "A Streetcar Named Desire", by Tennessee Williams (1911-1983). The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. It premiered in 1947, at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. Shortly later, on December 3, 1947, it moved to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway in New York City.

The original cast included Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy. Other notable works by Williams include "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "The Glass Menagerie".

Answer: Dr Seuss

The quote is from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", by Dr. Seuss (1904-1991). It was first published in 1957. He may be the most famous American author of children's literature ever. If you grew up as a child in the United States, you almost certainly have read at least one of his books.

In fact, several have even been made into movies. Other notable works by Seuss include "The Cat in the Hat", "Green Eggs and Ham", "Fox in Socks", "Horton Hears a Who!" and "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish".