THE LAUNCHING OF BARBARA FABRIKANT

What will turn me into Debbie Reynolds, happiness and fun?"" That's Barbara Fabrikant, a Rabbi's daughter, with far to go during her first year at a small New England college. She's still using Clearasil but she also needs Metracal and yards of Double Bubble gum to lose thirty pounds since even if she's had a nose job, there's a lot of excess Barbara elsewhere. Including glasses -- she gets contacts. Barbara's story is an ingratiating first person as she talks about her roommate Marsha and sex -- first in the unwanted form of Allan whom she doesn't really like, then Mr. Appel who teaches her course on minorities and is divorced and has three children and can't make up his mind about anything. There's a sad, lapsed seduction scene (""if Chicken Delight disgusts me, what would that do?"".) And also about anything from compulsory chapel to gym before the wiser end of that first year. Barbara's ex-Jewish nose is sharp when it comes to the non-chosen and she's a bright and noticing presence -- full of seltz (more than all that diet cola). A cheerful talent launched -- for all mothers and daughters.