Unmask Alice: LSD, satanic panic, and the imposter behind the world's most notorious diaries
(Book)
In 1971, Go Ask Alice reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portrayal of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. The supposed diary of a middle-class addict, it terrified adults and cemented LSD's fearsome reputation, fueling support for the War on Drugs. Five million copies later, Go Ask Alice remains a divisive bestseller, outraging censors and earning new fans, all of them drawn by the book's mythic premise: A Real Diary, by Anonymous. But Alice was only the beginning. In 1979, another diary rattled the culture, setting the stage for a national meltdown. The posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist, Jay's Journal merged with a frightening new crisis—adolescent suicide—to create a literal witch hunt, shattering countless lives and poisoning whole communities. In reality, Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal came from the same dark place: Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards. This is a true story of contagious deception. It stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah nicknamed "the fraud capital of America." It's the story of a doomed romance and a vengeful celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire.
Literary forgeries and mystifications -- History -- 20th century.
LSD (Drug) -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Popular culture -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Sparks, Beatrice -- Criticism and interpretation.
Teenagers -- United States -- Social conditions -- 20th century.
Young adult literature, American -- History and criticism.
Notes
Emerson, R. (2022). Unmask Alice: LSD, satanic panic, and the imposter behind the world's most notorious diaries. Dallas, TX, BenBella Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Emerson, Rick. 2022. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries. Dallas, TX, BenBella Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Emerson, Rick, Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries. Dallas, TX, BenBella Books, 2022.
MLA Citation (style guide)Emerson, Rick. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries. Dallas, TX, BenBella Books, 2022.
Record Information
Last Sierra Extract Time | Apr 23, 2024 03:47:43 PM |
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Last File Modification Time | Apr 23, 2024 03:47:57 PM |
Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Apr 23, 2024 03:47:47 PM |
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505 | 0 | |a Prologue: The pretender -- About a girl -- The boy who died -- Gods and monsters -- Contagion -- Shine a light -- Epilogue: After forever. | |
520 | |a In 1971, Go Ask Alice reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portrayal of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. The supposed diary of a middle-class addict, it terrified adults and cemented LSD's fearsome reputation, fueling support for the War on Drugs. Five million copies later, Go Ask Alice remains a divisive bestseller, outraging censors and earning new fans, all of them drawn by the book's mythic premise: A Real Diary, by Anonymous. But Alice was only the beginning. In 1979, another diary rattled the culture, setting the stage for a national meltdown. The posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist, Jay's Journal merged with a frightening new crisis—adolescent suicide—to create a literal witch hunt, shattering countless lives and poisoning whole communities. In reality, Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal came from the same dark place: Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards. This is a true story of contagious deception. It stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah nicknamed "the fraud capital of America." It's the story of a doomed romance and a vengeful celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire. | ||
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