WOMAN IN THE YEAR 2000

Twenty-three feminists gaze into their crystal balls for a foggy, spotty coverage of the year 2000. Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Carol Rinzler, Bella Abzug, David Saperstein, Lois Gould and F.M. Esfandiary each contribute more or less amusing sci-fi fables of life after the revolution, in that genderless by-and-by. Gloria Steinem's piece on child-rearing runs to a terse, sketchy five paragraphs. Caroline Bird's paper on the economics of emancipation is a spin-off of a speech before the American Historical Association. Ad-woman Jane Trahey is pessimistic about women's 21st century ""image."" Four black women want ""the respect accorded kings."" Nora Sayre's revelations of life among the headhunters of ""one of New York's choicest women's magazines"" is the sharpest, brightest, most realistic contribution of these by-and-large flabby pipedreams. She focuses on ""the fact that some women were raised and trained to be hostile toward others"" and emphasizes that solidarity is a first priority in the progress toward that celestial millenium. Editor Maggie Tripp and Future Shocker Alvin Toffler revamp the old institution of marriage. Dribs and drabs, a mixed bag with nothing much in the way of prizes. Like a self-congratulatory panel discussion where everyone's there to be seen not heard -- but what could you expect with a high-schoolish theme like this?