Rosemary Woodruff Leary has been known only as the wife of Timothy Leary, the Harvard professor-turned-psychedelic high priest, whose jailbreak captivated the counterculture and whose life on the run with Rosemary inflamed the government. But Rosemary was more than a mere accessory. She was a beatnik, a psychonaut, and a true believer who tested the limits of her mind and the expectations for women of her time.
Long overlooked by those who have venerated her husband, Rosemary spent her life on the forefront of the counterculture, working with Leary on his books and speeches, sewing his clothing, and shaping — for better and for worse — the media’s narrative about LSD. Ultimately, Rosemary sacrificed everything for the safety of her fellow psychedelic pioneers and the preservation of her husband’s legacy.
Drawing from a wealth of interviews, diaries, archives, and unpublished sources, Susannah Cahalan, AB ’07, writes the definitive portrait of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, reclaiming her narrative and her voice from those who dismissed her. Page-turning, revelatory, and utterly compelling, The Acid Queen shines an overdue spotlight on a pioneering psychedelic seeker.
About the author
Susannah Cahalan is a bestselling author, journalist and public speaker.
Her first book, Brain on Fire, sold over a million copies and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Her second book, The Great Pretender, was named a best book of 2020 by Time, The Guardian and The Sunday Times and shortlisted for the Royal Society’s 2020 Science Book Prize.
She has been profiled in The New York Times; featured as an answer on Jeopardy!; delivered a TEDx talk and has been interviewed by numerous national media. Her advocacy work has taken her around the world, speaking to universities and medical schools. In 2022, she was awarded the American Brain Foundation’s Ambassador Award for her advocacy in brain disorders and mental health awareness.
She lives in New Jersey with Stephen Grywalski and their three children.