How a Mormon Housewife Turned a Fake Diary Into a Best-Seller

Plus: TikTok’s success; the reclusive giant of Australian letters; and the Hamptons by seaplane. View in browser | Update your preferences Thursday, July 28, 2022 In today’s newsletter, a famous diary’s true secrets, and then: • How TikTok slayed social media • The reclusive giant of Australian letters • Taking a seaplane to the Hamptons How a Mormon Housewife Turned a Fake Diary Into an Enormous Best-Seller “Go Ask Alice” sold millions of copies and became a TV movie, but its true provenance was a secret. Photo illustration by Jaya Miceli; Source photograph by United News / Popperfoto via Getty Images / Getty Images A middle-class fifteen-year-old girl tries acid and spins out into a world of hard drugs, prostitution, sexual violence, rehab, and death. A sixteen-year-old boy is sent to reform school, where he learns to levitate objects, attends occult orgies, and becomes possessed by a demon named Raul, before dying by suicide. Young readers thrilled to the books “Go Ask Alice” and “Jay’s Journal,” which were published in the nineteen-seventies and promoted as real-life testimonials, but which were, in fact, partly the invention of a stay-at-home mother named Beatrice Sparks. Casey Cep explores the fascinating story of a writer who embellished her credentials and obfuscated her authorship in order to spread anti-drug and pro-faith messages—but whose stories titillated teen-agers, and angered conservatives and progressives alike. “The sad truth about sensational topics,” Cep writes, “is that someone’s moral panic is often someone else’s moral emergency.” —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Photograph courtesy the author Before Senate Democrats announced a surprise deal on a three-hundred-and-sixty-nine-billion-dollar climate and tax package, a group of young aides broke from a tradition of deference and staged a sit-in at Chuck Schumer’s office, demanding action. Andrew Marantz has the inside story. Editor’s Pick Cultural Comment TikTok and the Fall of the Social-Media Giants Facebook is trying to copy TikTok, but this strategy may well signal the end of these legacy platforms. By Cal Newport Culture Dept. Books The Reclusive Giant of Australian Letters Gerald Murnane’s new book, billed as his last, surveys the rest of his output. By Merve Emre Here To There Dept. Splash Down in the Hamptons Tailwind Air, a competitor to Blade, wants its seaplane passengers to feel an Andy-Warhol-with-his pants-rolled-up vibe. By Ben McGrath The Boards An Iranian Actor’s Journey to Broadway Houshang Touzie parked cars and got punched by Mr. T on “The A-Team” before being cast in the theatrical version of Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner.” By Michael Schulman Shorter Stories Flash Fiction “Soft Sculpture” “ ‘A little tortoise,’ Ilka said. ‘Eine kleine Schildkröte. I called it my Kröterl. That was the week of the Hitler takeover.’ ” By Lore Segal Flash Fiction: Read more of our very short stories for the summer. Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Daily Shouts Why I Am Not Like Other Tourists If I get lost, I can find my way back to the hotel using my wits, dramatic hand gestures, and smartphone. By Kerry Elson Crossword A Beginner-Friendly Puzzle Feline astrological sign: three letters. By Robyn Weintraub Daily Cartoon Thursday, July 28th By Sophie Lucido Johnson P.S. Want more literary hoaxes, grifts, and controversies? We’ve got ’em! Start with Ian Parker on a suspense novelist’s trail of deceptions. Then read Louis Menand on what happens when we find out writers aren’t who they said they were. And, finally, revisit Judith Thurman’s story of the Italian freelancer who invented interviews with famous authors. Sometimes the best mysteries happen just off the page. Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.