Go+Ask+Alice+Controversy

Ever since its publication in 1971, //Go Ask Alice// has gone under fire from schools and readers for both its content and authorship.

=Censorship History - A Brief Glimpse (Information from 120 Banned Books) =
 * #17 - American Library Association's Top Banned Books of the decade
 * 1970's: removed from numerous schools because of objectionable language and explicit sexual scenes. Removed from:
 * Kalamazoo, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan, Eagle Pass, Texas, Trenton, New Jersey
 * 1980's: removed because of language, same-sex references, explicit sexual scenes, and lack of literary quality.
 * Gainesville Public Library kept the book in a locked room to keep it from young readers
 * 1990's: removed because of explicit sexual scenes and images of drug use.
 * In Tiverton, Rhode Island, the principal removed the book from a middle school library after a parent complaint. A review committee determined the principal had acted in violation of the district's policies, and the book was returned to the library---but not the classroom.

=Authorship Controversy -- How much of // Go Ask Alice // is fact? =

In addition to the novel's actual content, the true author of //Go Ask Alice// has been an issue of debate and contention over the past 40 years. When the novel hit shelves in 1971, //GAA// was listed as the real-life diary of a 15-year-old girl; it appeared in the nonfiction section of stores and libraries until the 1980's.

However, a therapist and youth counselor started making appearances as the editor of //Go Ask Alice//. In 1978, the novel //Jay's Journal// by Anonymous was published; the cover reads "Edited by Dr. Beatrice Sparks, who also discovered the international bestseller //Go Ask Alice." The similar format of Jay's Journal and other Sparks novels have sparked (pun intended) discussion of the ratio of fact and fiction in the Anonymous diaries she presents. //

**Click on the book covers below to take a look at sample pages on Google Books. Is Beatrice Sparks the author or editor?** 

**Interesting articles weighing in on the Authorship controversy:**
 * Snopes.com - This site, devoted to proving rumors true or false, said that //GAA// is a work of fiction
 * "Curiouser and Curious: Fact, Fiction, and the Anonymous Author of Go Ask Alice"
 * // __Go Ask Alice Controversy on Squidoo__ // - Scroll down and check out the poll on the book's appropriateness in schools

// In // a 1979 interview with Alleen Pace Nilsen (School Library Journal), Sparks said that there was indeed a real "Alice" who she met at a youth convention. After speaking and meeting with the girl several times, she gave Sparks her diary in order to help her better understand kids going through issues with drugs and addiction. ** Read this interview with Sparks below. ** media type="custom" key="5858831"