The Rad Radcliffe Quarterly

THE Radcliffe Quarterly has a "new look." The December issue is glossy, with a full-page color photograph on the front cover and a slick print font. In the bottom right corner is a little box that reads as follows: "The Struggles for Justice: Indian Rights, South Africa; Democracy in China, and more; The Supreme Court on Abortion Rights and Affirmative Action; New Radcliffe Appointments."

This box declares the most stunning new element of the "new look": an unabashed look at politics. For the first time since I've been reading the Quarterly, the majority of articles deal not with landscape gardening or cooking tips, but with international and national debates as they affect and are affected by women.

Two women academics discuss threats to equality in the workplace and the right to reproductive privacy. An activist for tribal rights writes a history of her beleaguered Minnesota reservation. Two Radcliffe graduates detail their experiences as students and teachers in Beijing during the rise and fall of the pro-democracy movement. A Jewish woman writes about a movement to feminist Talmudic scholars; a Black woman writes of her experiences confronting apartheid while traveling in South Africa.

Toward the end of the issue are six letters to the editor. One points out the omission of coverage of black student activists in an article on the student strike of 1969; it addresses fellow alumnae and alumni in calling for the increased role of Blacks in Harvard and Radcliffe histories.

The other five letters are about the Quarterly's denial of "equal time" to the right-to-life side of the abortion rights debate. While equal time is a neat idea for television media that are legally bound to observe a pretense of objective journalism, the Quarterly, happily, has no such obligations. Contrary to the claims of the letter-writers, the Quarterly has in the past featured articles by anti-choice activists. It is thrilling, now, however, to see the Quarterly take a feminist stand in the face of protest from some of its readers.

ON a more subtle level, the alumnnae news items show a change in Radcliffe's attitude toward its former and current students. It was less than two years ago that Benazir Bhutto was written up in a tiny box of the "Class Notes" section as having been "appointed" to the presidency of Pakistan. Months later, "Pinky" Bhutto--as the Quarterly called her--was on the cover of Harvard Magazine in graduation garb, speaking on Pakistan, Islam, and women in politics.

Now, entire articles are devoted to two recent winners of MacArthur Fellowships, awarded the five-year prizes for their scholarship in international relations and women in science. News on Radcliffe appointments include the fact that the husband of Robin Jacoby, Radcliffe's new vice-president for college relations, will be moving himself and his business to the Boston area.

Reviews of books by Radcliffe graduates are more biting and willingly critical than before. They still include representatives from the cooking, quilting and gardening genres; but now also focus on books of literary criticism, poetry, and labor history. A new section on "Art and Artists" announces recent readings, exhibitions, dramatic performances, and concerts given by alumnae.

Finally, the back cover: a call to "support Radcliffe College" in order to "continue opening doors for women." The "new president," Linda Wilson, announces a "new agenda," one that will "enlarge Radcliffe's contribution to the public policy forum" as well as "expand research and scholarship about women."

"New agenda" is one of those terms that in U.S. politics tend to mean "new advertisements." But the Radcliffe Quarterly seems like it's supplying a "new look" with substance, putting the "rad" back in Radcliffe. Things are looking up.