The Not So Big House. The Not So Big Life. These are phrases as well as concepts that are logical in preparation for downsizing your life and lowering your carbon footprint. Sarah Susanka has books published with the both as titles and both have become best sellers. She will bring her ideas and thoughts to The Longview Center next Tuesday for a discussion on how to make your life better, not bigger. Also, just in time for her appearance, WUNC’s The State of Things re-aired an interview with Susanka yesterday.
Sarah Susanka took on McMansions and established a cultural movement when she wrote “The Not So Big House” (Taunton/1998). Now, she’s taken the bigger-is-not-necessarily-better philosophy to everyday living, with her book “The Not So Big Life” (Random House/2007). Host Frank Stasio speaks with Raleigh architect Sarah Susanka about bigger homes and empty lives. This program was originally broadcast on May 7, 2007. Listen to the show here.
Event Information
Sarah Susanka’s “Not So Big Life,”
a not-so-architectural work of art!
The Not So Big Life
DATE: Tuesday, February 19th
TIME: 7:00 P.M.
LOCATION: the 1880 Hall
(lower level in Art Gallery)
at the Long ViewCenter
118 S. Person St.
Raleigh, NC (Adjacent to Exploris Museum)
In her groundbreaking bestseller “The Not So Big House,” architect Sarah Susanka showed us a new way to inhabit our houses by creating homes that were better-not bigger.
Now, in The Not So Big Life, Susanka takes her revolutionary philosophy to another dimension by showing us a new way to inhabit our lives.
In The Not So Big Life, Susanka shows us that it is possible to take our finger off the fast-forward button, and to our surprise we find how effortless and rewarding this change can be. We do not have to lead a monastic life or give up the things we love. In fact, the real joy of leading a not so big life is discovering that the life we love has been there the entire time. Through simple exercises and inspiring stories, Susanka shows us that all we need to do is make small shifts in our day-subtle movements that open our minds as if we were finally opening the windows to let in fresh air.The Not So Big Life reveals that form and function serve not only architectural aims but life goals as well. Just as we can tear down interior walls to reveal space, we can tear down our fears and assumptions to open up new possibilities. The result is that we quickly discover we have all the space and time we need for the things in our lives that really matter. But perhaps the greatest reward is the discovery that small changes can yield enormous results. In her elegant, clear style, Susanka convinces us that less truly is more-much more.
Sincerely,Kathleen Cleary
Long View Center
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