Other names, places, characters, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.' Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Later editions of the book contained the standard disclaimer: 'This book is a work of fiction. Sparks was unable to produce the original diary for critics. In interviews conducted over the next few years, Sparks identified herself as the book's editor and related that Alice consisted partly of the actual diary of a troubled teen, and partly of fictional events based on Sparks's experiences working with other teens. Her first work, Go Ask Alice, was published under the byline 'Anonymous' in 1971. Sparks stated that her experiences working with troubled adolescents made her want to produce cautionary tales that would keep other teens from falling into the same traps.

One interviewer wrote that Sparks was 'vague about specifics' when asked about her counselling qualifications and professional experience. she claimed on book jackets and in her résumé. Researchers have been unable to find a record of the Ph.D. She worked as a music therapist at Utah State Mental Hospital and taught continuing education courses at BYU.Ĭritics have questioned Sparks's qualifications and experience. She began working with teenagers in 1955, after attending the University of California at Los Angeles and Brigham Young University. Beatrice Ruby Mathews Sparks was born in Goldburg, Custer County, Idaho and grew up in Logan, Utah.

Beatrice sparks author