I’d Rather Not, by Robert Skinner (2023)

‘I’d Rather Not’ presents a series of short stories from the life of Australian writer, Robert Skinner. Covering his time running a short story magazine, how he passed COVID, and everything in between, the book is a light and interesting read.

In some ways the book presents a glorification of the life of a Brunswick based artist. Skinner details living over a music store, working at a book store and coordinating elaborate parties whilst also describing a colourful cast of characters he acquainted himself with over his time in the literary scene.

The humorous tone of the book can lull readers into looking at Skinner’s life with rose tinted glasses, (even his descriptions of homelessness are presented as a cheeky suburban adventure) and on one hand that’s a credit to Skinner’s writing and attitude. It is also clear however that below the surface, the author battled through numerous serious difficulties, largely in pursuit of his craft.

On this point I prefer to see the book as a celebration of overcoming challenges. Skinner’s successful deconstruction and subsequent reconstruction of his car, managing the challenges of COVID, and making a respectable impact on the Melbourne literary scene are to be celebrated, not because they were fun enviable experiences but because he ultimately overcame the challenges (seemingly) with a laugh and a smile.

There are times though where the stories don’t have a satisfying conclusion, don’t have much of a point and the writing verges on overly-sweet, over-exaggeration. However, this comes with the medium I think, particularly as the short stories are based on real life.

Overall Skinner has crafted a fun read that should be enjoyed by all Melbourne readers – and it appears as though that’s exactly what’s happened. A long list of glowing critiques from local writers and media personalities are presented in the book before you even arrive at the first page. I’m sure Skinner’s connections in the local scene had a hand in wrangling some of these comments, and it’s worth (as always) read over these with a pinch of salt.

It may not be ‘outrageously funny’ but ‘I’d Rather Not’ was a fun and enjoyable read. I hope to see more from Skinner, and also more short story writing about Melbourne life in the future.