You will find short stories on this site. Most are autobiographical. Some are fiction.

DANCE with FIRE

After completing the five-year architectural course, one must work as an apprentice for three years, in order to qualify for the licensing exam. During this period, the apprentice, if she is in a large office, is likely to have her career shunted into one of several categories of work: construction documents, graphic illustrator, specifications writer, project or construction manager, or designer. In my opinion the most desirable of these roles is that of designer. So when I was asked to complete the design of the west side of Lower Manhattan and then to design dance studios as my next project assignment, I was pretty sure that the partners of Whittlesy Conklin had decided I would be a designer. Wanting to make a good impression with my design of the dance studios, I asked a professional modern dancer serve as my consultant. She informed me of the requirements for a dance studio. She also reviewed my preliminary design.

During this period, James Rossant was promoted from Associate to Partner. Among the staff, he was quietly referred to as “Conklin’s pencil” because he had the reputation of being very good at drawing renderings of buildings and not much else.

When I had completed my preliminary design of the dance studios, I presented it to the architect in charge of the Usdan Day Camp, my boss, and an associate in the firm. He liked it and presented it to the meeting of associates and partners.

I was unaware that while Conklin and Rossant were on a train to Washington, DC, Rossant had bragged that he could have designed a better dance studio than mine. So on that train ride, Rossant sketched his ideas for the dance studios and convinced Conklin to use his design instead of mine.

Andy, an associate in the firm and an especially ethical man, complained to Conklin that Rossant had ignored my efforts. Andy argued for treating employees with more respect. I suppose he was thinking that he was standing up for me and for all designers in the firm. He pointed out that I had developed the design based on consultation with a modern dancer. He protested that Rossant had neither consulted with me nor had he subsequently explained his actions to me. Andy demanded that Rossant apologize to me to maintain staff Morale.

All of the kerfuffle took place among the higher-ups in the firm. I was unaware that the design of the dance studios had become an issue. Upon a chance meeting in a corridor, Rossant offhandedly said to me “Oh by the way, I’m sorry for the way we handled the design of the dance studios.” I accepted his apology but wondered what he was talking about. I subsequently learned that my design had been abandoned.

I think that Andy’s defence of me left hard feelings between the design associates and Rossant. While I had nothing to do with making a fuss about it, the incident stigmatized me in the eyes of Rossant and perhaps others. The incident had also shaken my confidence in my design ability.

At that time the day camp and other projects in the office were being completed. I hoped to be assigned to a new project. I learned that would not happen when my boss came to me in the middle of November and said, “I am not supposed to tell you this Tod, but you are going to be laid off at the end of the month. I am sorry for the way this has turned out. You were not treated fairly. You may use the next two weeks to look for another job. You need not come to work between now and the last day of the month. I will arrange for you to be paid as if you were here. However, you will need to come in on the last day of the month when you, like the others who are being laid off, will receive your pay check and a pink slip. You should act surprised.” I believe that I was among those being laid off because Rossant did not want me around as a reminder of his arrogance.

Four of the staff, who were not laid off at that time, were assigned to a new project which was housed in vacant space above a nearby commercial establishment. If I had not been laid off, it is likely that I would have been assigned to the same project.

Later that Winter, this group was working late. The windows and doors to their space were all closed. One of them lit a cigarette with an open can of Bestine rubber cement nearby. The cigarette ignited the flammable gases of the cement, which in turn ignited the contents of the can. It exploded, spreading flaming rubber cement, like napalm, throughout the space. The explosion and the resulting fires, created a sudden increase in the air pressure in the room. This increased pressure pressed against the inward-opening exit door with such force that they were unable to open the door to escape the fire. When the NYC Fire Department arrived to extinguish the blaze, they found the bodies of the four young architects inside the burning room, on the floor next to the exit door. It is likely I would have been in that room on that night, had I not been laid off. This realization has made it easier for me to adjust to the fact that I had been fired from my first architectural job.