# Unmask Alice: Lsd, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries - Hardcover

by **Rick Emerson** (Author)

**"_Unmask Alice_ by Rick Emerson goes a long way to showing what investigative journalism could be in the right hands . . . this book is undeniably buzzworthy." --_Portland Book Review_  
  
"An absorbing and unnerving read . . . this book demands to be finished in one sitting." --_Booklist_**

Two teens. Two diaries. Two social panics. One incredible fraud.

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, _Go Ask Alice_ 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.

_Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries_ 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.

_Unmask Alice_ . . . where truth is stranger than nonfiction.

### Author Biography

**Rick Emerson** is a longtime radio and television broadcaster, the former host of the nationally-syndicated _Rick Emerson Show_, and the coauthor (with Lisa Desjardins) of _Zombie Economics: A Guide to Personal Finance_. He's a regular guest on America's finer podcasts, and can be seen in occasional television roles and a truly dreadful commercial for tires. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his two dogs, Willard and Philo.

**Number of Pages:** 384

**Dimensions:** 1.4 x 9.1 x 5.9 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** July 05, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 26.95 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 26.95 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Unmask Alice: Lsd, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23