SOS

BRAVE SOULS,

AFTER 6 MONTHS, THE BLOG HAS 1500 READERS A DAY. THE READERSHIP IS CONSISTENT. AN ARCHITECT IN LONDON THE OTHER DAY MENTIONED HE READS MY BLOG. THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING SO.

I HAVE A PERSONAL CATASTROPHE TO DEAL WITH. FIVE DAYS BEFORE I WAS TO TEACH SPRING SEMESTER AT THE ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHERE I HAVE TAUGHT WITH EXCELLENT RESULTS FOR A YEAR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY TERMINATED MY TEACHING AT THE ACADEMY. I AM NOT AT LIBERTY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE . BY NOW YOU SHOULD KNOW I AM A STRAIGHT SHOOTER AND I SAY TO YOU IN ALL SINCERITY I AM INNOCENT OF ANY WRONG DOING. THOSE WHO KNOW THE DETAILS ARE OUTRAGED.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS I NEED A TEACHING JOB, CONSULTING JOB, OR OFFICE JOB IMMEDIATELY. I AM, WITH THE HELP OF FORMER STUDENTS AND FRIENDS, SCRAMBLING TO FIND A JOB. I AM BROKE. I HAVE TAPPED OUT, DURING MY DOWNWARD FINANCIAL SPIRAL, MY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. I AM IN BANKRUPTCY AND LOST MY HOUSE TO FORECLOSURE. JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS AT THE BOTTOM FINANCIALLY, I HAD TO BORROW TO GET THROUGH THE SUMMER, BECAUSE THE SUMMER TEACHING, THAT I WAS PROMISED, DID NOT MATERIALIZE. I WAS INTERVIEWING FOR A SECOND JOB TO AUGMENT MY TEACHING SALARY, WHAT IS THAT SAYING? “JUST WHEN IT COULD NOT GET ANY WORSE, IT DID.” IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET A JOB, AND I AM WITHOUT FUNDS TO SURVIVE.

THE BLOG I DID OF PASSING THE HAT THREE MONTHS AGO, (CHECK IT OUT) WHICH WAS QUITE FUNNY AND INFORMATIVE, ASKED FOR $3 FOR SERVICES RENDERED, THE PRICE OF A CUP OF COFFEE. I HAD LABORED 1000 HOURS OF TIME COMPOSING THE 10 BLOGS. THE PASSING THE HAT PITCH RESULTED IN 10,000 READERS OR MORE CONTRIBUTING A TOTAL OF $32. WAS THIS COMICAL OR TRAGIC? THIS TIME IT IS AN EMERGENCY, SEND $10 BUCKS PLUS OR MINUS AND CONSIDER IT AN HONOR TO DO SO. A BARN RAISING FOR GLEN SMALL. MONEY IS SUCH A WEIRD THING. PEOPLE GET SO UP TIGHT ABOUT IT. THE PAYPAL IS SAFE AND IN COMMON USE.

I HAVE DEVOTED MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER TO PROPOSING EXCELLENT ARCHITECTURE, DOING EXCELLENT ARCHITECTURE AND TEACHING EXCELLENT ARCHITECTURE. I NEED ASSISTANCE TO KEEP AFLOAT. ” LIFE IS NOT FAIR AND YOU DON’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT “, I NEED YOUR HELP.

THE REASON I STARTED THIS BLOG IS THAT I HAVE BEEN WRITING A BOOK FOR TWENTY YEARS AND WHEN FINALLY I HAD ENOUGH WRITTEN, I APPROACHED A PUBLISHER. THE PUBLISHER SAID ” WHO WILL BUY YOUR BOOK?” NOW THAT I HAVE THE READERSHIP OF THE BLOG, I CAN POINT TO YOU ALL AND SAY “THEY WILL BUY MY BOOK, PUBLISHER.”

PROFESSIONALLY IF I HAD IT MY WAY I WOULD LOOK AROUND FOR URBAN SCALE DESIGN PROJECTS AND MAKE PROPOSALS TO DEVELOP THEM IN A HOLISTIC WAY. A WATCHDOG TO INSPIRE BOLD SOLUTIONS BY SHOWING WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. A STUDIO WITH LIKE-MINDED IDEALISTIC MOTIVATED SOULS. THAT IS WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING FULL TIME, AND YET I AM SCRABBLING FOR THE NEXT BUCK. WHAT A SILLY THING.

YOU BRAVE SOULS THAT READ MY BLOG, BAIL ME OUT. I HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY AND DESIGN BEFORE I CHECK OUT.


THANKS,

GLEN

IF THE PAY PAL THING DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU MY ADDRESS IS:

GLEN HOWARD SMALL, ARCHITECT
2445 SHORELINE DRIVE #128,
ALAMEDA CALIFORNIA 94501

PHONE 541 961 0307

E MAIL ADDRESS glenhowardsmall@gmail.com

22 comments

  1. Glen, I’m more than happy to contribute a little something. You’ve more than earned it through the value I’ve gained from following your blog. Keep up the good work and keep looking up, you don’t strike me as being someone who give up easily….

  2. Glen,

    You are the only blogger I have ever seen that expects direct compensation in return for the time he optionally devotes to blogging. I am an architect and I can’t get a job… I don’t run myself into debt though, I work at Home Depot until something else comes around, crappy job? yes. But at least I don’t expect people to bail me out because I can’t control my finances. If you want to be a blogger, than make it a real blog, take time to actually post continually and sell out advertisement space.
    If that doesn’t work out for you, big deal. More than half of new businesses don’t make it past the first year, they lose money. Yet I have never had an entrepreneur come to me expecting money because his business idea didn’t turn out and I need to “bail him out”.

    Stop whining to the world about how bad you have it, it’s kind of pathetic. I know people who have it a lot worse, but they drop their egos and start doing something to fix their problems. If you can’t get a job teaching or working it’s probably for a reason, maybe you should look into another career. I’ve heard Home Depot is hiring.

    Grant

    • DEAR GRANT,

      THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY,

      I WOULD BE WASTED AT HOME DEPOT.

      MAYBE BLOGGERS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED IF THEY BENEFIT OTHERS.

      CHECK OUT THE ENOCH SEARS COMMENT.

      I DO NOT BELIEVE IN ADVERTISING YET, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WITH ECO PRODUCTS

      I CONSIDER MYSELF AN ARTIST THAT HAS FALLEN THROUGH THE CAPTALIST CRACK.

      DOES EMPLOYMENT OR HAVING A CLIENT RELATE TO BEING RIGHT?

      WISHING YOU THE BEST,

      GLEN

  3. Glenn i’ve been reading but not writing much…in general it seems your observations get a lot more comments than your work, although your work is great – it’s just there though. kind of like when i buy a monograph, look at the pictures don’t really read much into it (i know my theory don’t worry).

    i’m wondering at 1500 views a day why so few comments? (is this a blog stat that can be checked, just googled it and no luck).

    you’re the age of my late grand parents who always had canned goods in the house and talked about the old days of only having a stick to play with (George Carlin reference), people who dedicated their lives to something other, but you’re also what appears to be a straight shooting arist. a combination for ridiculous success or failure frankly.

    asking people to pay because you exist seems very i-Phone Facebook generation and where everyone is so worried about themselves they don’t pay attention to anyone else…

    you might of made a good religious cult leader.

    anyway…i sponsor a child, donate to greenpeace, so i figured why the hell not. capitalism isn’t a system, it’s human desire at critical mass…figure out what the 1500 clickers a day like and sell them what they want.

    • DEAR CHRIS,

      THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS.

      YOU HIT UPON SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED AS WELL.

      YES I HAD MY RELIGIOUS PERIOD, AND MY ZEAL WAS CAPTIVATING. WHEN I REALIZED THAT AN ALL POWERFUL GOD WITH COMPASSIONATE LOVE, LET THINGS BE THE WAY THEY ARE IN REALITY, I REALIZED IT WAS A SHAM. I STAY AWAY FROM THAT SUBJECT. I TRANSFERRED THAT ENERGY TO ARCHITECTURE, WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF THE ARTS, BUT BEHAVES LIKE A WIMPY FOLLOWER.

      YES THE 1,500 HITS A DAY IS REAL, IN FACT IT IS CHECKED FREQUENTLY. WE TAKE THE CONSERVATIVE NUMBER, MAYBE IT IS MORE. I TOO AM A BIT AMAZED, BECAUSE THE COMMENTS ARE SO FEW.

      I REALLY EQUATE MY SELF WORTH BY MY ARCHITECTURE AND THE PROJECTS MY STUDENTS PRODUCE. MY WORK HAS A DIFFERENT BEAT . I DID THE GREEN MACHINE IN THE HIGH TECH ERA IN 1980 AND AT THAT TIME GREEN HAD NOT YET ARRIVED TO THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMUNITY. SO THE TEC ARCHITECTS DID NOT ACCEPT THE GREEN MACHINE. I DID MY NICARAGUA HOTELS WITH NATIVE MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP. REAL ARCHITECTS DON’T BUILD WITH CRUDE WOOD.. THEY USE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS SO AGAIN I WAS OUT OF PHASE. I AM PRESENTLY POUNDING AWAY ON AN ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN LEVEL. HOW IT WILL ALL FIT IN. ARCHITECTS DO NOT MAKE PROPOSALS, THEY ACCEPT THE CLIENT WISHES. NOT YOUR TYPICAL APPROACH AND I AM AGAIN OUT OF PHASE.

      THE BIOMORPHIC BIOSPHERE I DID IN 65-77 WAS JUST A FANTASY TO THE PROFESSION, AND YET ITS CONCERNS AND APPROACH ARE SLOWLY CATCHING HOLD WITH THE NEW ARCHITECTURE AND CONCERNS.

      MY DAUGHTER SAID, I HAVE BEEN YELLING ABOUT BEING NOT ACCEPTED BY THE PROFESSION AND SOCIETY FOR 30 YEARS. I AM SURE HER OLDER SIBLINGS WILL SAY 45 YEARS. I AM OUT OF PHASE, YET I AM SO MIDDLE CLASS. I CHEER FOR THE OREGON DUCKS AND WATCHED THE SUPER BOWL.

      TO ASK FOR MONEY WHEN ON THE ROPES IS NOT PROFESSIONAL. BUT THE BANKERS CAN GET AWAY WITH IT, THE AUTO MAKERS CAN GET AWAY WITH IT AND GOVERNMENT CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.

      YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO BE TOUGH, TAKE THE REJECTION, AND LEAVE QUIETLY. HELL I HAVE DEVOTED MY SOUL TO MAKE BETTER ARCHITECTURE. DON’T I DESERVE TO KEEP AFLOAT. LOOK AT ALL THE MISERABLE ARCHITECTURE THAT ARCHITECTS HAVE PENSION FROM. THEY LIVE ON.

      BEGGING FOR ARCHITECTURAL WORK AND MONEY.

      GLEN

  4. Glen,

    I occasionally read your blog and am often challenged and inspired. I appreciate the situation that you find yourself in, but I’m still young and while I myself wonder about the financial viability of certain ideals and ideas that i hold close i don’t mind considering less than ideal methods of getting me to somewhere else. Even Howard Roark worked at home depot. I do not think that that should be forced upon you, clearly you should be teaching… The kinds of subversive architecture’s that you are proposing are difficult for economically minded business executives (school administrators) to appreciate even if they do understand the necessity. So good luck, i do wish you all the success… I don’t think you have to beg, i hope that is not really what this is.
    Please do see my own non-money making blog, architectureev.blogspot.com

    • DEAR ANONYMOUS

      I ASUME YOU ARE REFERRING TO APPLYING FOR A JOB THERE. I HAVE APPLIED, THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.

      ANY OTHER FIRMS HIRING THAT YOU THINK COULD USE MY SERVICES?

      THANKS,

      GLEN

    • DEAR WOW,

      PATHETIC , I AGREE.

      BUT SOMETIMES ONE NEEDS TO REACH OUT.

      I RECEIVED SOME FUNDS TO TIDE ME OVER FOR A FEW DAYS.

      GLEN

  5. Glen,, you are just too much the wild man to teach at such a corporate cookie cutter academy. The students loved your approach but the administration got worried that the investors’ bankrolling the school would get some idea of what you were about… and teaching. They got cold feet. You were too hot for your own good.

    Your blend of bio-morphic architecture and Reich influenced nature-freedom-sexual politics just frightens most people and see you as a threat. Most of all your ‘nature as client’ bias is too radical for typical private property based architectural servicing.

    Your work is Delueze’s Anti-Oedipus manifested before it became fashionable. And you never assumed that architects should service their developer clients like a prostitute servicing a john. Your work seems to find fulfillment best within revolutionary societies.

    I like to compare Glen to Hannes Meyer. Both were teachers, as teachers dismissed beacuse of ideas, both traveled around the world, and both very radical as architects. ..Small is a revolutionary architect who is not at all a ‘lacky’ of capitalism like in the famous Hannes Meyer quote, (look it up) .

    Remember Small was the de-facto reason for why SCI-Arc was ‘birthed’ from Cal Poly –they wanted him fired because of his ideas. SCI-Arc dean Michael Rotondi later regretted letting Small go when SCI-Arc cleaned house after Ray Kappe resigned as dean. And yes SCI-arc needs another Glen Small to wake that school out of complacency as well.

    eric chavkin

    • DEAR ERIK,

      THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND UNDERSTANDING.

      LAST NIGHT IN YOUR TELEPHONE CONVERSATION YOU MENTIONED THAT WHEN YOUR DOWN SOCIETY LIKE TO KICK YOU.

      SOME OF THESE COMMENTS SHOW A REAL LOVE OF MEANESS.

      THERE IS A LOT OF COMMENTS IN THE LAST TWO BLOGS. MONEY SEEMS TO BRING OUT THE BEST AND WORST IN PEOPLE.

      KEEP CLOSE,

      GLEN

  6. I find myself infuriated after reading your posts, for the following two reasons:

    1. Though I never had you as a professor, you represent a prevalent attitude in academia: great design should be independent from dirty capitalism. Though this is never explicitly stated in school, it’s implied by the absence of any discussion of developing, finance, business, etc. From Glen Small: “HOW AN ARCHITECT SPINS HIS APPROACH TO GENERATE MONEY IS NOT MY FORTE. I JUST WANT TO BE PAID FOR PUSHING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.” You don’t want to “spin your approach” to generate money? You’re skills would be wasted working at Home Depot? Then don’t for a second ask us for a handout.

    2. If you want readers to give you money, then your blog had better be pretty damn incredible. Unfortunately, you can’t seem to TURN OFF THE CAPS LOCK! I don’t care if it’s your personal style, it’s really annoying to read. While you’re at it, sprinkle in some punctuation and break up a few run-on sentences. You could also monetize your blog by selling ads, but “I DO NOT BELIEVE IN ADVERTISING YET…” Sorry pal, you must not be very hungry yet!

    Brian in Chicago

    • DEAR BRIAN,

      PLEASE GO BACK AND READ ALL THE BLOGS SINCE SEPTEMBER.
      MAYBE YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING THAT YOU ENJOY.

      SURE, ATTACK MY ENGLISH AND USING CAPS. I HAVE A LAWYER FRIEND THAT RETREATS TO THIS. SORRY, NOT MY THING.

      I AGREE THAT ARCHITECTURAL SCHOOLS OFTEN LIVE IN THE WORLD OF THE IDEAL . BUT IT GIVES THE STUDENT GOALS TO PUSH FOR IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL LIVES.

      I AM THROUGH WITH GIVING AN INSITE INTO MY FINANCIAL WORLD, SO GO BACK TO WORK AND FEEL GOOD.

      WISHING YOU THE BEST,

      GLEN

    • JARROD,

      I THINK THAT WAS USED WITH JOHN GALT IN ATLAS SHRUGGED. HOWARD ROARK FOR ME WAS ALWAYS THE PURSUIT OF THE IDEAL TO MAKE THE MOST IDEAL ARCHITECTURE POSSIBLE. HE WAS A FANTASY. I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE THE MISSION. I WAS TAKEN OUT TO DINNER A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO BY A COUPLE OF ARCHITECTS THAT ARE PROFESSORS AS WELL, THEY CONFESSED TO DOING PROJECTS FOR CLIENTS THAT DID NOT MEET THE BAR OF INTEGRITY. THEY DID IT FOR THE MONEY TO STAY ALIVE AND LIVE TO DO THE IDEAL PROJECTS. I HAVE BEEN IN OFFICES WHERE THERE WAS A CLASSIFICATION OF A AND B BUILDING. A BUILDINGS BEING IDEAL, B BUILDINGS TO MAKE MONEY. IT IS THE ARCHITECT’S COMPROMISE.

      WITH MY OWN PRACTICE I HAVE NEVER DONE THAT. AND AS ONE FRIEND POINTED OUT-” LOOK AT YOU NOW GLEN FOR NOT DOING SO.”

      JARROD, I THOUGHT YOU MEANT “WILL THE REAL GLEN SMALL PLEASE STEP FORWARD.” I THINK IT WAS A TV PROGRAM YEARS AGO CALLED ” WHAT’S MY LINE.” WHERE THERE WERE THREE PERSONS PRESENTED. THE PANEL HAD TO QUESTION AND GUESS WHICH PERSON WAS THE REAL PERSON DESCRIBED BY THE BLURB THE PANEL WAS GIVEN. AT THE END OF DISCUSSIONS, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, ” WILL THE REAL GLEN SMALL PLEASE STEP FOWARD”. ETC.

      MY BLOG IS ALL THE REAL GLEN SMALL. LIKE EVERYTHING, I HAVE MY UPS AND DOWNS. BUT WITH DOWN AND OUT MOST PEOPLE TAKE OFF LIKE JACK RABBITS, THEY ARE THERE WHEN I GET THE NEWS ARTICLES, OR POSITIVE PRAISE, BUT OPEN DISCUSSION AT THE BOTTOM IS A NO NO.

      I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A MORE DETAILED COMMENT FROM YOU.

      GLEN

    • DEAR ROB,

      I ASSUME THIS IS A TONGUE IN CHEEK COMMENT.

      JUST THE OPPOSITE, I GAVE TURF TOWNAWAY FOR NOTHING, BUT AS YOU POINT OUT , OTHERS ARE MAKING MONEY OFF OF IT.

      I MUST ADMIT MONEY IS NOT THE OBJECTIVE IN MY LIFE, OTHER THAN SURVIVING AT THE MOMENT. IT IS A DISGRACE TO THINK THE WORLD OR OTHERS OWES YOU ANYTHING IF YOU GIVE AWAY YOUR BEST IDEAS. THAT IS JUST BAD BUSINESS. YOU CAN ONLY DO THIS AFTER YOU HAVE MADE A PILE OF MONEY STEPPING ON PEOPLE AND TURN ALTRUISTIC. THEN YOU ARE HERO AND RESPECTED. EVERYBODY SHOULD BE INTO THE MONEY BUSINESS, IT IS THE GOLDEN MANDATE.

      MONEY JUST DOES NOT HOLD INTEREST FOR ME. POSITIVE IDEAS, ATTITUDES TO IMPROVE, BRING JOY AND HEALTH THROUGH ARCHITECTURE, HAVE STIMULATING SPACES. YES ARCHITECTURE CAN BE EFFECTIVE.

      BUT WITHOUT MONEY, THE WORLD PUTS A BLOCK ON MY MIND, I SRAMBLE TO STAY ALIVE. WHICH SOME COMMENTS SAY IS CORRECT. I DESERVE THIS FINANCIAL PAIN. OH WELL, I CAN NOT SHAKE UP SOME OF MY FELLOW ARCHITECTS ENOUGH TO SEE ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW, TOO BAD.

      BUT THE EXCHANGE IS OF CONSEQUENCE.

      GLEN

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