Talk:Go Ask Alice

Name

I thought that the girl's name was Carla. In one of the diary entries (another day, another blow job) it says "and little JAcon is yelling "Mommy, Daddy can't come right now, he's humping Carla". So I thought her name was Carla. I'm probably wrong, though.

No, I just posted that as well. I reread the book after 20 years and noticed that she didn't put her name in the diary.. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.251.60.36 (talk) 03:18, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

I have a 1971 hardback edition of this book and the jacket liner refers to the diarist as Alice. It starts "Alice is fifteen, white, middle-class." There are a further seven instances referring to her as Alice. The name is in italics each time, forming a link to the title of the book and suggesting Alice is a pseudonym. Cathi M (talk) 18:04, 30 October 2016 (UTC)

Category:Banned books

I removed the category link, because the text of the article makes no mention of when, where, why, or by whom the book was banned. I've never heard of the book being banned, myself. If you want to re-add the category link, please add a section to the article about the purported ban. • Benc • 09:34, 22 Aug 2004 (UTC) This book is on the ALA's list of the top 100 books challenged in the 1990's as number 23. Bans started in the 1970's: 1974 in Kalamazoo, 1975 in Saginaw, 1977 in Eagle Pass and Trenton through removal from local libraries. Other libraries in New York 1975, Utah 1979, and Florida 1982 required parental permission for a student to check-out the book. Additional bans occured in 1983 in Minnesota and Colorado, 1984 in Mississippi, and 1986 in Georgia and Michigan. Also, in 1993 in New Jersey and West Virginia, 1994 in Massachusetts, 1998 in Rhode Island, and 2003 in Maine. The book was number 8 on the most challenged list in 2001 and up to number 6 in 2003. Various bans and censorships were brought on by parents, principals, and school board officials. Please refer to the ALA website or "120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature" for additional information and to understand what constitutes a ban. *All dates listed taken directly from "120 Banned Books," p. 456-57.

Nice work -- I've added this to the article. Perodicticus 12:18, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Propaganda

This book is a piece of junk, pure and simple. It reads like pure government, anti-drug propaganda. It could have been written by Nancy Reagan. Anyone who takes this book seriously needs to give their head a shake. The most unrealistic portrayal of drug abuse ever.

It is very clearly fiction. Some of the exaggeration is so ridiculous as to be laughable. At least they admit they just made it up.

68.231.184.131 (talk) 20:16, 24 October 2008 (UTC)It's not as bad as "reefer Madness." If it is ghost written, then who IS the author? Got a name?~~

• I disagree. I've witnessed drug abuse on many fronts and I've found that this book, though it certainly doesn't apply to every situation, is actually closer to the truth than simply being "propaganda".

Doesn't matter how close to the truth it is, it's still propaganda.81.225.6.166 17:25, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

I disagree with your disagreement. The first two pages of this twaddle sent me to Wikipedia for what I knew would be an article about its forgery. Sure enough, here it is. This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. This is your brain with bacon and buttered toast. -- Egomet Bonmot —Preceding unsigned comment added by 32.174.124.70 (talk) 04:32, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

I believe that it's misleading to give the illusion that this book is non-fiction. It's as if the author said, "It's ok to lie to my readers. After all, I'm educating them." That seems like a self-righteous and reprehensible decision on the author's part. --MRP —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.210.145.212 (talk) 08:51, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

It doesn't matter if this book is completely real or not. This has happened to people many times before. Although it is obvious that she could not have died. No one wanted to trip her and she didn't even like the drugs. Other than that this book was great. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.204.52.28 (talk) 16:46, 9 August 2010 (UTC)

Comment on this book.

I believe this book, Go Ask Alice, tells the story of many young girls life. People these days trying to get out the easy way by using drugs. E.C.C.11!

Get over it. Drugs are a sad part of life and this story explains it.

• I grew up in an area where drug use was common and thus occasionally used myself, and I've never met anyone whose experiences come even close to Alice's. It's a good book but I wouldn't say that it's totally realistic, nor do I think that it adequately explains what real drug users are like, as you purport it does.

• this book is awesome what are you talking about!!!!?!

and you are in some other world thinking this isn't real! drugs DO kill people!

• i agree this is a good but im not sure if its 100% true. it tells a true of everday drug users but is it reali a diary. my name is tiariah im 13 and im doing a book peport on go ask alice an by readin this im still a bit confused on the truth of this story. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.237.247.209 (talk) 02:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

It is known to be NOT true. You might want to check the www.snopes2.com page on this book. The book report ciould examine why the fictional book is effective as a deterrent. Format (talk) 21:10, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

• Go Ask Alice is a good book! Things like this actually do happen. drugs are crap and they can make you do things you are not proud of. The main character in this book went through and did things she wasn't proud of because of drugs. The main character goes through things every teen girl does. Boys, periods, school, u get it. but when drugs came into her life, from then on she was not happy too often. she didn't know how to stay off of them for a while, and that's how it really is. She felt alone and scared. She kept a diary of experiences and happenings. They (drugs) make you see things, do things, say things. i mean, they are not something to get involved with. "Alice" (let's call her) kept a diary of all the crap that went on in her life. Is it all true? Who knows. Does stuff like this really happen? You can bet your butt it does. there is no part of this book that couldn't happen. could it all happen to one person? Yea, actually, it could. the truth of this story is DRUGS ARE CRAP! i said it at the top, and its true, trust me. Go Ask Alice is a book that makes you think. Read it and see what you think...

• Drugs are fun, that's why people use them. Humans have been taking them back into the mists of time. They don't make you do anything. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.185.88.35 (talk) 18:11, 7 December 2011 (UTC)

• go ask alice is a great book my name is alex and I am 15 doing a book report about this book.

but I am having trouble with it what is the the author's message in this book?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Written123 (talk • contribs) 16:18, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Fact or Crap? I have no idea. I really enjoied the book. I have done a little recreational drugs here and there, but never really had any of the same experience she did. Drugs affect people in different ways so who knows, I guess it could be true. As for the language she used in the book, I believe that a daughter of a professor might use a higher vocabular in their writing. She certainly would have been exposed to a higher level of vacabulary in her home. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.8.174.63 (talk) 01:12, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

 The things that happened in this book, are things that are happening to me.  In my opinion this book actually takes place in the real world.  The main character might have just been an innocent girl  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.115.135.118 (talk) 00:01, 12 October 2009 (UTC) 

Goofs

Article now has a goofs section. Three factual inconsistencies (as opposed to the general untrue 'feel' of the writing) in the book point towards a fabricated diary... Could the fact that she seems to experience an unplanned, and very intense, flashback LSD trip (when these are really just an urban myth) count as a goof? This is unplanned trip that happens night when she's alone in her bedroom; not the peanut-brittle/dead grampa/maggots eating my face/locked in a closet bad trip while baby sitting. Asa01 07:13, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

This fantasy story was made up when it was believed that it was possible to have a full LSD experience flashback. Some still believe this nonsense obviously.

Also, the book's protagonist never seems to actually pay for any drugs!! (An idea that had always fascinated me.) Early on she helps a boyfriend deal drugs, but she at the time believes she is doing so to raise funds for his college education, so she probably wasn't being paid in any way for those sales. Through the story she is variously slipped pills at a party, her new acquaintance Chris passes her two pills when she is feeling down, someone hands her a joint, or she attends a "rally" where all the drugs are free. There might be one or two references - late in the book - of her being required to perform sexual favours in return for drugs ("Another day, another blow job") but by then she had already injested masses of stuff for free. Asa01 21:42, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Probably part of the drug dealers give free samples myth.

• • • • • • maybe it wasnt a big deal that she had to pay for them and it wasnt too important, so she didnt think she needed to write about it..... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.203.126.34 (talk) 20:01, 22 November 2008 (UTC)

Where did a high schololer get all the money needed? Format (talk) 02:53, 12 December 2008 (UTC)

Please remember the time frame in which this book takes place. The world was certainly a different place. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.8.174.63 (talk) 01:16, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Discrepancies

Jake andes lives in new salem Ks he like to fish and trap animals and kill coytees he drives a ford 150 everyday to burden central highschool and he has a sister that gos to winfield high and works at walmat like his mother.SqueakBox 21:04, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Jake Andes Edited the first part of the article stating "35 years (as of 2006)" to "36 years (as of 2007)" seeing as we're in 2007 now.

Which Trenton?

The article contains mention of a ban in Trenton, but links to a disambiguation page. Could someone familiar with the subject choose the correct one in the listing at Trenton (I would guess either Trenton, New Jersey or Trenton, Texas from the context). Thanks. Mindmatrix 14:52, 20 August 2007 (UTC)

Weasel words in intro

"...is considered a classic of young adult literature." It is? By whom? I've yet to read a positive review of this book. The fact that the lead paragraph also doesn't make note of the fact that the book is a complete forgery leads me to suspect violation of WP:NPOV. -Cassandra Leo (talk) 09:24, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

It is not a forgery, just fiction. The two are very different things. Format (talk) 22:32, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

It is presented as the real-life diary of a deceased teenager, which it clearly is not. -96.228.203.46 (talk) 11:20, 9 February 2009 (UTC)

Home video

Does anyone know if the TV movie is on VHS or DVD? 67.149.31.161 (talk) 09:23, 19 March 2009 (UTC)

Yes, to both formats. Surv1v4l1st ^{(Talk|Contribs)} 01:10, 18 August 2009 (UTC)

Supreme Court

As far as I know removal of this book from some library cause case before US Supreme Court. Can anyone link that case to this article?--Dima io (talk) 13:20, 27 August 2009 (UTC)

before I remove EVERY SINGLE MENTION of the name "Alice"...

I corrected the opening sentence of the plot section and then wanted to move forward with a re-write of the entire article, removing all references to the author being "Alice." The entire plot is written as if the widely-known ANONYMOUS author of this work of fiction is the titular Alice. As clearly stated in the article's introduction, we are never told her name specifically - but it is most assuredly not "Alice." I'll wait my usual two weeks for a response before I edit text. ocrasaroon (talk) 03:31, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

Oops too late I've done it. My goodness that plot summary is super long though. Format (talk) 06:24, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

Typo?

In the third paragraph of the "Authorship" section:

<< In an October 1979 interview with Alleen Pace Nilsen for School Library Journal, Sparks claimed that Go Ask Alice had been based on the diary of one of her patients, but that she had added various fictional incidents based on her experiences working with other troubled teens. She said the real girl had not died of a drug overdose, but in a way that could have been either an accident or suicide. She also stated that she could not produce the original diary, because she had destroyed part of it after transcribing it and the rest was locked away in the publisher's vault. >>

shouldn' the NOT be removed, Re: the suicide? I don't know where the original info comes from, so I don't want to change it, but the sentence otherwise implies the "real life" (i.e., fake, as we all know) girl died....not that she did not die. 69.198.205.2 (talk) 21:23, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

but it clearly says but in a way that could have been either an accident or suicide

It makes perfect sense as it is. It says that she didn't die of a drug overdose, but her death was of such nature that it could have been either accident or suicide. John Elson★3Dham★ WF6I A.P.O.I. 01:16, 13 November 2012 (UTC)

Pop Culture

Is it worth noting that Columbia's sex/drugs/health Q&A is named after this book? http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.226.58.102 (talk) 22:33, 9 April 2012 (UTC)

connection with "White Rabbit"

Both this article and the article about "White Rabbit" fail to mention the connection between the two, when that was one of the most obvious cultural references of the early 1970's. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.251.116.51 (talk) 12:55, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Which came first, the title of the book, or the title of the Jefferson Airplane song? --Uncle Ed (talk) 02:54, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

song is older, from 1966, and the connection is now mentioned on that page. Gjxj (talk) 12:31, 29 July 2017 (UTC)

Symptoms of LSD

The statement that she would not be able to record events chronologically or logically is innacurate, a person on lsd may have a stretched sense of time (e.g 5 minutes feeling like an hour, and hour feeling like 5 minutes) but they would still know the order in which things happened, and would be perfectly capable of providing accurate details of what happened. This section should be deleted 2601:B:780:C5:C901:3E82:2E0C:B2C3 (talk) 17:47, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

Bias and slant

The article takes the viewpoint that this is an inauthentic work, due to the false (initial) claim that it was non-fiction. The latter day consensus seems to be that Beatrice Sparks (the copyright holder) was more than the editor, but probably the author.

The slant is that having concealed what portion she made up, the entire work must therefore be called into question. (Like the case of the Washington Post reporter who wrote an award-winning series of articles on an improbably young heroin addict, but was later fired after it was discovered that she made up nearly all of it.)

A better article would present scholarly views on the degree to which this book is representative of the drug scene of the 1960s. --Uncle Ed (talk) 03:07, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

I'm not shocked or horrified that this book might not be a real diary. It's normal to take diaristic methods or journalistic methods and use them to create a novel. I feel like the anger directed at this book comes from fifteen or sixteen year olds who smoke a lot of marijuana and are mad at the author for being against that. This may not be a real diary but maybe the things the author says are true in a sense.69.155.118.50 (talk) 17:47, 21 July 2013 (UTC)

"Bans started in the 1970s: Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1974, Saginaw, Michigan in 1975, and Eagle Pass, Texas and Trenton, New Jersey in 1976 through removal from local libraries." - the sentence is fine until it gets to "through ... libraries." - which makes no obvious sense and probably should be deleted. On a final read, if it's intended to convey the idea that the bans were effectuated by removing the book from local libraries, it seems rather redundant. Irish Melkite (talk) 01:25, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

Errors of consistency - OR?

"There are some errors of consistency. On page 16, the author has not "had time to write for two days". In the same paragraph she refers to the last entry as "yesterday" when she says, "I've apologized to every room about the way I felt last night" even though according to her first sentence she would have felt that way two nights ago, not "last night". On pages 79–80, the text describes the girl living with a friend in Coos Bay, Oregon, where she enthuses over the Diggers' Free Store and the Psychedelic Shop – both establishments were actually in San Francisco. Another error is on page 2 where the author writes "It's my birthday. I'm 15." Later in the book on page 46 in August the author writes "After all I've just turned 15 and I can't stop life and get off" meaning she did not turn 15 eleven months ago."

No citation and the style of the text suggests these are the 'findings' of whomever wrote the paragraph. Irish Melkite (talk) 01:20, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

Authorship

Currently there is a tag attached to the reference claiming Sparks authorship. At the risk of introducing primary sources, could the following link be used? http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?Search_Arg=RE0000897076&Search_Code=REGS&SEQ=20140507082755&CNT=25 Qemist (talk) 12:32, 7 May 2014 (UTC)

I have a paperback copy of this book from around 1974. On the front cover, it says above the title, "A Real Diary". On page 5, it says, "Go Ask Alice is based on the actual diary of a fifteen-year-old drug user. It is not the definitive statement on the middle-class, teenage drug world. It does not offer any solutions. It is, however, a highly personal and specific chronicle. As such, we hope it will provide insights into the increasingly complicated world in which we live. Names, dates, places and certain events have been changed in accordance with the wishes of those concerned. The Editors." There's no other references to the authorship besides "Anonymous". Richeysite (talk) 16:24, 25 August 2015 (UTC)

not a valid source

Amazon's description of a book is not always accurate and should not be used in a serious article. The description of the sequel of Rich Man Poor Man pretended that the second TV miniseries was based on it when it was not. I remember one other blurb that was also 100% wrong. Drop the Amazon sentence in this article. 100.15.120.162 (talk) 18:36, 9 December 2015 (UTC)

Separate page for the movie adaption.

The movie version arguably deserves a page of its own, which is what IMDb gives it, and given that their page states that the movie was nominated for two Emmy Awards. It's been widely seen around the world, and the soundtrack choices were also very good and deserve to be documented, although IMDb users report that the songs are cover versions, however they're comparable with the originals and possibly better in some cases. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.64.164.51 (talk) 18:47, 26 August 2016 (UTC)

yes. Ms Smith-Jackson should have a page too. Gjxj (talk) 12:27, 29 July 2017 (UTC)

Comment

When I was 'about the age of the narrator character' I came across the book in my local library and started reading out of curiosity - but gave up because 'it did not read right.' 82.44.143.26 (talk) 17:15, 16 April 2019 (UTC)

I wonder if

This book could be considered an early example of a creepypasta?

It was written long before the internet and is probably better classified as misery lit. 82.44.143.26 (talk) 17:09, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

Article about a book looking at veracity of "Go Ask Alice"

Willamette Week newspaper published this article on August 3, 2022, regarding a book called "Unmask Alice" by Rick Emerson: [1]https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/08/03/how-a-former-portland-radio-host-debunked-a-1970s-bestseller-about-teenage-acid-trips/ DaKine (talk) 16:16, 4 August 2022 (UTC)