Michael Arceneaux facts for kids

Michael Arceneaux, born on April 12, 1984, is an American writer. He is known for writing three collections of essays. His first book, I Can't Date Jesus, became a New York Times bestseller in 2018. He also wrote I Don't Want to Die Poor (2020) and I Finally Bought Some Jordans (2024).

Early Life and Education

Michael Joseph Arceneaux was born in Houston, Texas, on April 12, 1984. He grew up in a working-class Black family from Louisiana. His mother was a registered nurse and a very religious Catholic. Michael was raised in the church and even thought about becoming a priest for a short time.

Michael attended Madison High School in Houston. After high school, he went to Howard University. He paid for college with scholarships and student loans. He studied broadcast journalism and wrote for the campus newspaper, The Hilltop. In 2007, he graduated from college. He was the first man in his family to earn a college degree.

Writing Career

After college, Arceneaux moved to Los Angeles to start his writing career. He worked as an intern at MTV News. Later, he became a columnist for their website.

He has written for many well-known magazines and newspapers. These include The Guardian, New York magazine, Essence, and Rolling Stone. He also wrote for Teen Vogue, BuzzFeed, Vulture, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. He also wrote an advice column called "Dearly Beloved" for Into magazine.

Michael Arceneaux's Books

I Can't Date Jesus

Arceneaux's first book is a collection of 17 funny personal essays. It is titled I Can't Date Jesus: Love, ..., Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé. The book was published on July 24, 2018, by Atria Books. It quickly became very popular. It reached number 14 on The New York Times best-seller list for paperback nonfiction books.

The book talks about his early life as a young Black man. He grew up in a religious home in the southern United States. The book's title comes from his Catholic upbringing. It explores how his personal identity fit with his faith. He found that talking about these ideas was not always easy. So, he decided it was "Easier to just clarify, 'I plan to have a life, so I can't date Jesus.'"

Michael finished writing the book in 2011. However, it took some time to find a literary agent to help publish it. He eventually signed with Jim McCarthy. McCarthy had first said no to his idea. But Michael kept sending him more essays to read. McCarthy changed his mind and decided to work with him.

Many people who reviewed the book liked it a lot. They compared Arceneaux's writing to other famous essay writers. These include Roxane Gay, David Sedaris, and Samantha Irby. In Vogue magazine, Chloe Schama and Bridget Read described his writing style as "hysterically funny, vulnerable." They called the book "a triumph of self-exploration." They also said it was "as fun as it is illuminating."

I Don't Want to Die Poor

Arceneaux's second book is called I Don't Want to Die Poor. It was released in 2020. This book expands on an essay he wrote for The New York Times. That essay described his experiences with private student loan debt.

I Finally Bought Some Jordans

Arceneaux’s third book is titled I Finally Bought Some Jordans. This book was released on March 12, 2024.

See also

In Spanish: Michael Arceneaux para niños

• History of African Americans in Houston
• LGBT culture in Houston
• Christianity in Houston