Michael Arceneaux facts for kids

Michael Arceneaux (born April 12, 1984) is an American writer. He has written three popular essay collections. These include I Can't Date Jesus (2018), which was a New York Times bestseller. His other books are I Don't Want to Die Poor (2020) and I Finally Bought Some Jordans (2024).

Early Life

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

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

Writing Career

After college, Michael Arceneaux moved to Los Angeles. This is where he started his writing career. He began as an intern at MTV News. Later, he became a regular writer, known as a columnist, for their website.

Michael has written for many well-known publications. 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.

Books by Michael Arceneaux

I Can't Date Jesus

This book came out in 2018. It quickly became very popular. It reached number 14 on The New York Times best-seller list for paperback nonfiction. The book is a collection of essays. It shares stories from Michael's early life. He writes about growing up in a religious home in the southern United States. He also talks about his personal journey and faith.

The title of the book, I Can't Date Jesus, comes from his Catholic upbringing. It explores the challenges he faced while growing up. 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.

Reviewers have praised Michael's writing style. They describe it as "hysterically funny" and "vulnerable." Vogue magazine called the book "a triumph of self-exploration." They noted it was both fun to read and very insightful.

I Don't Want to Die Poor

Michael Arceneaux's second book was published in 2020. It is titled I Don't Want to Die Poor. This book builds on an essay he wrote for The New York Times. In that essay, he discussed his private student loan debt. The book explores the challenges of managing money and debt.

I Finally Bought Some Jordans

Michael Arceneaux's third book is called I Finally Bought Some Jordans. It was released on March 12, 2024.

See also

In Spanish: Michael Arceneaux para niños

• History of African Americans in Houston
• Christianity in Houston