The F**ket List: Things I Will NOT Be Doing Before I Die

by David M. Stameshkin

So, what’s a “F**ket List”? Just about everyone these days seems to be preparing a “Bucket List,” i.e., a compilation of all the things that they want to do before they die. Since he was retiring, after a long career in higher education, David Stameshkin thought he should probably have a Bucket List, too. As he started working on one, he recalled that there were things he had wanted to do earlier in his life—particularly alternate career paths—that perhaps he could pursue now that he was retiring and might have the time and resources to do so. Indeed, while many people reluctantly give up some of their most cherished dreams early in their lives, as retirement approaches, they sometimes start to think about pursuing those old ambitions and/or “reinventing themselves.”

But, as the author relates through the stories in this book, he began to realize that (judging from his occasionally outrageous, sometimes disastrous, but always humorous past experiences) pursuing some of those paths would never work. So, in addition to making a Bucket List, he started making a F**ket List, i.e., the things he was not going to do before he died—the things that might have been on his Bucket List, but about which he would now just say: “F**k it, given what I know about myself now, there’s no way I way would be successful in trying to do those things.”
For years, Stameshkin’s students, colleagues, friends, and family have heard these stories and have urged him to publish them. Well, here they are! Enjoy!

135 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad's memoirs! I may be biased, but he's a hilarious, wonderful man who has touched many people's lives, and I love his stories for their warm blend of humor and sincerity. Reading this was like listening to him tell a story over dinner--totally delightful.

[Shaleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a note in the beginning that says the entire book is worth reading just bc of Chapter 2. This was no falsehood! I laughed reading the entire book to an extent I had to stop several times bc I was crying & couldn’t see the text. However chapter 2 had me going from room to room in my house sharing mishaps & laughing to the point of tears over & over. This book took me only ab 2.5 hours to read & I honestly could have read it again immediately. It was just the joy I needed to make my off day the best.

[Lyndon Virkler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book!

As someone approaching retirement myself, I really enjoyed the F**k it list. I took David Stameshkin’s Gay Nineties history seminar at Middlebury 40plus years ago. Glad to see he’s still going strong.

[Jordy Alava · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read, it's super easy to follow and the stories told were really entertaining. I learned a couple of interesting things and did some more research on The Underground Railroad and Jews.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining true stories by my favorite Dean from my college days.

[Betsy Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick book full of entertaining and funny stories.

[Kathy Taggart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful mentor to me in college and beyond, "Dean Dave"'s life adventures are entertaining and unbelievable. A must-read for any fan or friend.........