Beatrice Sparks

Beatrice Sparks
BornBeatrice Mathews
(1917-01-15)January 15, 1917
Goldburg, Idaho, U.S.
DiedMay 15, 2012(2012-05-15) (aged 95)
Provo, Utah, U.S.
Occupation
  • author
  • youth counselor
  • speaker
  • hoaxer
LanguageEnglish
Notable worksGo Ask Alice
Jay's Journal

Beatrice Ruby Mathews Sparks (January 15, 1917 – May 25, 2012) was a Mormon youth counselor, author, and serial con artist, known primarily for producing books purporting to be the "real diaries" of troubled teenagers. The books deal with topical issues such as drug abuse, Satanism, teenage pregnancy, and AIDS, and are presented as cautionary tales. Although Sparks presented herself as merely the discoverer and editor of the diaries, records at the U.S. Copyright Office list her as the sole author for all but two of them, indicating that the books were fabricated and fictional.[1][2]

  1. ^ Clark, Jonathan Russell Clark (5 July 2022). "Go Ask Alice Is a Lie. But Bookstores Won't Stop Selling It". Esquire. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  2. ^ Juzwiak, Rich (26 July 2022). "The True Scammer Behind the Fake Diary 'Go Ask Alice' Duped Millions of Kids". Jezebel. Retrieved 29 November 2022.