“Go Ask Alice" at the Rock Island Public Library Downtown Branch -- February 23.
Monday, February 23, 2 p.m.
Rock Island Public Library Downtown Branch, 401 19th Street, Rock Island IL
Adapted from the iconic book the New York Times deemed an "extraordinary work" and a "document of horrifying reality [that] possesses literary quality," the 1973 television-movie version of Go Ask Alice enjoys a special February 23 screening at the Rock Island Public Library's downtown branch, the film detailing the life of a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age 15 and runs away from home on a journey of self-destructive escapism.
Famously attributed to "Anonymous," the Go Ask Alice book unfolds in diary form, and was originally presented as being the edited actual diary of the unnamed teenage protagonist. A move to a new school in a new city puts great pressure on Alice, a high school student. Hoping to be liked, she tries desperately to be friendly with the school's "popular" students. Eventually she is invited to a party and she is introduced to drugs.
Questions about the book's authenticity and true authorship began to arise in the late 1970s, and Beatrice Sparks is now generally viewed as the author of the found manuscript–styled fictional document. Sparks went on to write numerous other books purporting to be real diaries of troubled teenagers. Some sources have also named Linda Glovach as a co-author of the book. Nevertheless, its popularity has endured, and it had remained continuously in print since its publication more than five decades earlier.
Intended for a young adult audience, Go Ask Alice became a widely popular bestseller praised for conveying a powerful message about the dangers of drug abuse. Go Ask Alice has also ranked among the most frequently challenged books for several decades due to its use of profanity and explicit references to sex and rape, as well as drugs. The book was adapted into the 1973 television film Go Ask Alice, starring Jamie Smith-Jackson and William Shatner, and three years later, a stage play of the same name, written by Frank Shiras and based on the book, was also published.
Go Ask Alice will be screened in the Community Room of the Rock Island Public Library's downtown branch on February 23, admission to the 2 p.m. showing is free, and more information is available by calling (309)732-7323 and visiting RockIslandLibrary.org.
