332:, Chloe Schama and Bridget Read noted Arceneaux's "hysterically funny, vulnerable" style, calling the collection "a triumph of self-exploration, tinged with but not overburdened by his reckoning with our current political moment...The result is a piece of personal and cultural storytelling that is as fun as it is illuminating."
310:
upbringing and its implications for him as a gay man, particularly the idea that even if being gay was not a choice, he should not act on it. Finding that theological debates on the subject did not tend to prove fruitful, Arceneaux decided, "Easier to just clarify, 'I plan to have sex, so I can't
311:
date Jesus.'" Arceneaux completed the manuscript in 2011, but the search for an agent delayed the book's publication. Ultimately he signed with Jim McCarthy, who had originally declined his query but
Arceneaux persisted, sending him more essays to read and McCarthy changed his mind.
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for paperback nonfiction. It focuses on his early life as a young Black gay man growing up in a religious household in the southern United States. The book's title arises in response to
Arceneaux's
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798:"Nonfiction Book Review: I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I've Put My Faith in Beyoncé by Michael Arceneaux. Atria, $ 17 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-5011-7885-6"
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ARCENEAUX: I love Howard
University now. And I remember one girl specifically saying, oh, my God, you went to Madison High School, and you're from Hiram Clarke, and you go here.
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I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other
Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé
640:"Howard Alum Michael Arceneaux Basically Wants To Know Who Keeps Asking Bow Wow Questions"
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123:(born April 12, 1984) is an American writer. He is the author of three essay collections:
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543:"'I Don't Do Sad Gay': Michael Arceneaux in Conversation With Melissa Harris Perry"
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574:"Growing Up Black, Gay And Catholic In Texas, Memoirist Put His Faith In Beyoncé"
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in
Houston. With a combination of scholarships and student loans, he enrolled at
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701:"Paramount Guts History To Save Money And We All Suffer From Their Cheapness"
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Arceneaux's first book, a collection of 17 humorous personal essays entitled
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438:"Michael Jackson, Urban Myths and the Grease From Jermaine Jackson's Fade"
176:, where he majored in broadcast journalism and wrote for campus newspaper
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1008:"Country, Black Ass, Queer Perspective: Talking with Michael Arceneaux"
157:, and Arceneaux was raised in the church, even briefly considering the
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733:"'I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, And Other Reasons..."
314:
Reviewers have compared
Arceneaux's essay collection to the work of
263:, as well as writing an advice column, called "Dearly Beloved", at
828:"The Must-Read Race and Culture Books of the Summer | ColorLines"
858:"Paperback Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - The New York Times"
109:
577:
1041:"Grief changes you. Michael Arceneaux is writing through it"
978:"13 Books to Thrill, Entertain, and Sustain You This Summer"
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Michael Joseph
Arceneaux was born April 12, 1984, in
477:"What Would Beyoncé Do? Michael Arceneaux's Asking"
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368:, was scheduled to be released on March 12, 2024.
194:, where he began his writing career. He was an
888:"Michael Arceneaux On Why He Can't Date Jesus"
976:Schama, Chloe; Read, Bridget (May 30, 2018).
8:
826:Gonzalez, Catherine Lizette (29 June 2018).
673:"Opinion | The Student Loan Serenity Prayer"
765:"Why Michael Arceneaux 'Can't Date Jesus'"
18:
671:Arceneaux, Michael (February 10, 2018).
608:Arceneaux, Michael (February 20, 2009).
436:Arceneaux, Michael (January 14, 2017).
399:
378:History of African Americans in Houston
541:Harris-Perry, Melissa (15 June 2018).
295:, was published on July 24, 2018 from
1134:21st-century African-American writers
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1139:African-American non-fiction writers
763:Anderson, Tre'vell (July 29, 2018).
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206:for the website. He has written for
299:. The book debuted at number 14 on
638:Meade Jr., Tommy G. (2016-07-31).
190:After college, Arceneaux moved to
14:
916:Young, Danielle (July 24, 2018).
838:from the original on 23 July 2018
775:from the original on 23 July 2018
553:from the original on 23 July 2018
506:Arceneaux, Michael (2013-03-06).
487:from the original on 23 July 2018
346:(2020), expands on his essay for
475:Patrick, Diane (June 15, 2018).
335:
1169:HuffPost writers and columnists
1129:21st-century American essayists
1018:from the original on 2018-07-24
988:from the original on 2018-07-25
958:from the original on 2021-02-15
946:Abadsidis, Savas (2018-05-28).
928:from the original on 2018-07-24
898:from the original on 2018-07-25
868:from the original on 2018-08-02
808:from the original on 2018-07-23
742:from the original on 2021-02-15
683:from the original on 2018-07-22
650:from the original on 2018-07-23
620:from the original on 2018-07-23
584:from the original on 2018-08-06
518:from the original on 2021-02-15
448:from the original on 2018-07-23
418:from the original on 2021-02-15
1184:Critics of the Catholic Church
1:
1144:African-American male writers
1006:Irby, Samantha (2018-07-23).
366:I Finally Bought Some Jordans
359:I Finally Bought Some Jordans
139:I Finally Bought Some Jordans
1194:African-American LGBT people
1149:African-American memoirists
572:Gross, Terry (2018-07-23).
408:"EBONY MAGAZINE on Twitter"
1230:
886:Mania, Greg (2018-07-24).
284:
278:
731:Gilson, D. (2018-06-27).
508:"Sex-Ed in Kindergarten?"
342:Arceneaux's second book,
1179:Howard University alumni
1107:Interview with Arceneaux
1096:Interview with Arceneaux
1082:Interview with Arceneaux
703:, by Michael Arceneaux.
364:Arceneaux’s third book,
344:I Don't Want to Die Poor
337:I Don't Want to Die Poor
135:I Don't Want to Die Poor
33:Michael Joseph Arceneaux
1199:LGBTQ people from Texas
388:Christianity in Houston
383:LGBT culture in Houston
1189:Former Roman Catholics
1092:podcast, July 20, 2018
610:"Is College Worth It?"
1204:Writers from Houston
1164:American gay writers
352:private student loan
168:community, attended
164:Arceneaux, from the
1159:American columnists
248:The Washington Post
170:Madison High School
133:bestselling book),
1154:American humorists
862:The New York Times
804:. April 16, 2018.
677:The New York Times
414:. April 12, 2012.
348:The New York Times
302:The New York Times
287:I Can't Date Jesus
280:I Can't Date Jesus
254:The New York Times
126:I Can't Date Jesus
98:I Can't Date Jesus
1073:Michael Arceneaux
1045:Los Angeles Times
802:Publishers Weekly
769:Los Angeles Times
481:Publishers Weekly
174:Howard University
121:Michael Arceneaux
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110:michael-arceneaux
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23:Michael Arceneaux
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948:"On the Shelf"
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1048:. Retrieved
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952:The Advocate
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166:Hiram Clarke
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137:(2020), and
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92:Notable work
86:21st century
1209:1984 births
297:Atria Books
192:Los Angeles
179:The Hilltop
57:Nationality
1123:Categories
1050:2024-03-07
1022:2018-07-24
1012:The Rumpus
992:2018-07-24
962:2018-07-24
932:2018-07-24
902:2018-07-25
872:2018-08-03
832:ColorLines
812:2018-07-22
746:2018-07-22
687:2018-07-22
654:2018-07-22
624:2018-07-22
588:2018-08-06
522:2018-07-24
452:2018-07-22
422:2018-07-22
394:References
316:Roxane Gay
233:Teen Vogue
218:magazine,
159:priesthood
145:Early life
75:Occupation
39:1984-04-12
1112:Fresh Air
644:HBCU Buzz
204:columnist
129:(2018, a
65:Education
1174:MTV News
1016:Archived
986:Archived
956:Archived
926:Archived
922:The Root
896:Archived
866:Archived
836:Archived
806:Archived
773:Archived
740:Archived
708:Opinion,
706:HuffPost
681:Archived
648:Archived
618:Archived
614:The Root
582:Archived
551:Archived
516:Archived
485:Archived
446:Archived
442:The Root
416:Archived
372:See also
308:Catholic
239:BuzzFeed
215:New York
200:MTV News
155:Catholic
141:(2024).
60:American
1088:on the
842:22 July
779:22 July
720:Vulture
557:22 July
491:22 July
412:Twitter
244:Vulture
221:Essence
105:Website
354:debt.
322:, and
260:XOJane
257:, and
196:intern
186:Career
78:Writer
982:Vogue
892:PAPER
512:Ebony
329:Vogue
326:. In
274:Books
1077:IMDb
844:2018
781:2018
559:2018
547:Elle
493:2018
266:Into
112:.com
29:Born
1109:on
1098:on
1084:by
1075:at
578:NPR
198:at
83:Era
1125::
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