Alex Beam, a columnist for the Boston Globe,writes that Loupan's main theme is accurate, evenif number of details are wrong, in an op-ed piecepublished of February 10.

"Harvard's French Department is not highlyregarded, because it is viewed as a hotbed ofmodish feminist criticism," Beam writes.

In the January/February issue of LinguaFranca. a magazine that reviews academiclife, Susannah Hunnewell notes at the end of areport on the Figaro case, "Whatever Loupin's[sic] errors, he may have been on to one thing:Harvard's French department is in some disarray."

"Since three professors left in quicksuccession in the late 80s, the department has hadto supplement its faculty with visitingprofessors, among them the distinguished TzvetanTodorov," Hunnewell writes.

"In one sense, Loupin [sic] can't be blamed forwondering if 'old authors are suspect' at Harvard;two of the French department's four tenuredprofessor, namely Suleiman and Jardine, specializein twentieth century literature," Hunnewell adds.

But Mary M. Gaylord, the chair of RomanceLanguage and Literature Department, responded in aletter to the Globe: "Harvard-bashing has alwaysbeen a popular pastime, locally and nationally.Rather than seeking international participation(from Le Figaro) in this sport, I wouldhope that a responsible journalist might check hisinformation somewhere closer to home."

Gaylord adds in an interview that the Frenchsection is working on bringing in more professorto supplement its four senior and three juniorprofessors.

Naomi Schor, a Duke University professorspecializing in 19th-century French literature,was appointed senior professor in March and willbegin teaching in September.

The department also offered tenure to TomConley, a 16th-century French literature expertcurrently teaching at the University of Minnesota,according to Gaylord. Jardine confirmed last nightthat Conley has accepted the position and will beHarvard in September.

Gaylord says the French section of thedepartment is working on bringing in a jointappointment with the African American StudiesDepartment, but refuses to name the person beingconsidered.

Gaylord says the French faculty is very strongand the additions will only improve it.

"I think [Loupan's] attack...completely missedthe point of what a strong French faculty we havehere and how we respect and value them," she says.

Battle Royale

Jardine and Suleiman--maintaining that theattacks are false--filed suit in a French courtlast year in order to defend their honor and thatof their department.

"Basically, we sued because we thought it wasintolerable to let this kind of irresponsiblejournalism go without a very strong response,"Suleiman says. "This journalist went beyond thelimit."