I'd Rather Not by Robert Skinner

An endlessly entertaining collection of wayward autobiographical tales about a search for a richer life thwarted at every turn by beagles, bureaucrats, and ill-advised love affairs

The unlikely story of how a failed dishwasher, tour guide, cabinet maker, bus driver, bookseller and literary journal publisher became one of Australia’s hottest humor essayists

Perfect for fans of humorous, thought-provoking authors like Sloane Crosley, Jenny Lawson, Samantha Irby, and David Sedaris

This wryly subversive book of adventures (and misadventures) offers an original and utterly hilarious take on work, escape, and that something more we all need. 

Robert Skinner arrives in the city, searching for a richer life. Things begin badly and then, surprisingly, get slightly worse. Pretty soon he’s sleeping rough and trying to run a literary magazine out of a dog park. His quest for meaning keeps being thwarted, by gainful employment, house parties, ill-advised love affairs, camel trips, and bureaucratic entanglements.

The book’s 14 essays/stories can be savored one at a time, or binge read:

• War and Peace
• The Perfect Host
• Cinderella Pays the Rent
• Lessons from Camels
• How to Make It in Business
• The Stopover
• Kings of Sweden
• House Party
• Car Sick
• I Fought the Law
• Always Coming Home
• The Art of Tour Guiding
• A Fisherman’s Lament
• Epilogue: Dying Art of Hitchhiking

Robert’s distinctive voice possesses uncommon immediacy, at once humorous and soulful, self-effacing and wise. Perhaps most important of all, he is endlessly entertaining.

Story Locale: Australia

Robert Skinner was born and raised on the Adelaide Plains. His writing appears frequently in The Monthly, and has also been featured in The Best Australian Essays, Best Australian Comedy Writing and Internazionale. He currently lives in Melbourne, where he works in a bookshop and plays football at the lowest level.

Author Residence: Melbourne, Australia

Author Hometown: Adelaide, Australia