Radcliffe Quarterly—Winter 2008

Women's Stories: Why the Schlesinger Library Matters Joan Wickersham Go behind the scenes at the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute and find out what's in this special collections library, how it was formed, and how the library makes its collections available to researchers all over the world. The Director Discusses the Library Nancy F. Cott The first faculty director of the Schlesinger Library explains why she came to Harvard from Yale, describes the library's educational agenda, and discusses her current research. Processing Reveals Extraordinary Perspectives on World War II Margie Kelley The Schlesinger Library receives approximately a hundred new collections every year and adds to about thirty existing collections. The American Red Cross Clubmobile Service Collection—recently processed as part of the library's project to eliminate a backlog of unprocessed materials—is just one of the library's collections that chronicle women's activities during World War II. Departments From the Dean Announcements and Letters to the Editor Stephen M. Kosslyn Joins Radcliffe Institute as Senior Advisor The Quarterly Goes Green Donna E. Shalala to Receive Radcliffe Institute Medal Tamara Elliott Rogers Now Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development Letter to the Editor Institute Explorations Why Is It So Hard to Fix a Damaged Heart? The Shifting Sands of Politics and Culture Fellow Update Around the Institute Tango Conference Explores Culture, Society, and Politics Science Lecture Series Dean's Lecture Series New Books The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller ’64, EdM ’75, BI ’84, RI ’01 Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman’s Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney ’83 At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman ’74 Faint Praise: The Plight of Book Reviewing in America by Gail Pool ’67 Circling My Mother: A Memoir by Mary Gordon RI ’04 The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz RI ’04 Quick Study Alumnae/i News Names & Faces NEWSmakers

RADCLIFFE QUARTERLY

Editor
Pat Harrison

Associate Editor
Ivelisse Estrada

Book Reviewer
Megan Marshall ’77, RI ’07

Editors Emeritae
Maryel Finney Locke ’48
Aida Kabatznick Press ’48
Diane Sherlock ’78

Design
forminform llc

Director of Communications
Whitney T. Espich

Executive Dean
Louise Richardson

Interim Dean
Barbara J. Grosz

Winter 2008

Volume 93/No. 1

The Radcliffe Quarterly (ISSN 0033-7528) is published two times a year by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.

Copyright 2008 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.

The Radcliffe Quarterly is distributed free to alumnae/i, faculty, and fellows. For others, subscriptions are available with a gift of $25 per year ($35 foreign) to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at the address listed above.

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The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University is a scholarly community where individuals pursue advanced work across a wide range of academic disciplines, professions, and creative arts. Within this broad purpose, the Radcliffe Institute sustains a continuing commitment to the study of women, gender, and society.