NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Featured as One of Summer’s most anticipated reads by the Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, ELLE, Buzzfeed, and Bitch Media. From the author of I Don’t Want to Die Poor and in the style of New York Times bestsellers You Can’t Touch My Hair, Bad Feminist, and I’m Judging You, a timely collection of alternately hysterical and soul‑searching essays … Bad Feminist, and I’m Judging You, a timely collection of alternately hysterical and soul‑searching essays about what it is like to grow up as a creative, sensitive black man in a world that constantly tries to deride and diminish your humanity.
It hasn’t been easy being Michael Arceneaux.
Equality for LGBTQ people has come a long way and all, but voices of persons of color within the community are still often silenced, and being Black in America is…well, have you watched the news?
With the characteristic wit and candor that have made him one of today’s boldest writers on social issues, I Can’t Date Jesus is Michael Arceneaux’s impassioned, forthright, and refreshing look at minority life in today’s America. Leaving no bigoted or ignorant stone unturned, he describes his journey in learning to embrace his identity when the world told him to do the opposite.
He eloquently writes about coming out to his mother; growing up in Houston, Texas; being approached for the priesthood; his obstacles in embracing intimacy that occasionally led to unfortunate fights with fire ants and maybe fleas; and the persistent challenges of young people who feel marginalized and denied the chance to pursue their dreams.
Perfect for fans of David Sedaris, Samantha Irby, and Phoebe Robinson, I Can’t Date Jesus tells us–without apologies–what it’s like to be outspoken and brave in a divisive world.
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There are stories that simply demand to be told and Michael Arceneaux’s is one such story. In I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé, Arceneaux writes from his life as a black gay man with an uncanny strength of conviction and such fine wit. The essays collected here reveal Arceneaux at his finest, as he grapples with the very things that shape our lives — faith, family, and finding a way into the world he wants to be a part of. Whether he is writing about coming to terms with his father’s rage or his complicated relationship to Christianity or his trepidations about dating and finding human connection, Arceneaux makes keen observations and sculpts beauty from the ugly things a lesser writer would shy away from… The critical thinking, from beginning to end, is outstanding. I Can’t Date Jesus is a must-read collection from a rising, unforgettable voice.
I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé is a collection of essays written by Michael Arceneaux. Although Arceneaux is a seasoned writer, this is his first published book and it is filled with life experiences related to family, race, sexuality, religion, politics, culture, LGBTQ community…and yes, even Beyoncé. From childhood to adulthood, it’s there. Honest, funny, sensitive, heartbreaking, perspective-altering, and unapologetically in your face. I did say funny, right? It’s worth mentioning again. His humor generously takes the edge off all the emotional scarring he has endured. Arceneaux shares that it wasn’t easy growing up as Black and gay with no support system, and having his very identity translated into damaging messages that had to be unlearned. Where does Beyoncé come in? Well, being a Houston, Texas native herself, and an individual who stands firm in who she is regardless of any opposition, Arceneaux has gained strength from her strength. We all have that one person who has had great impact on our lives (whether they know it or not) and Beyoncé is his. After reading the essay he devoted to her, I can completely understand why.
With fifteen essays (plus an engaging introduction and epilogue), Arceneaux covers a variety of topics that will surely provide readers with validation, hope, and a sense of community. This was my first experience with Michael Arceneaux’s writing but it certainly won’t be my last. Talent, perspective, and smiles. It’s a winner!
Access to an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Michael Arceneaux
Publisher: Atria Books/37 INK
Genres: Entertainment, LGBTQ Nonfiction
Pub Date: July 24, 2018
In this collection, Michael Arceneaux is as vulnerable as he is hilarious, sharp as he is shady, thoughtful as he is THOT-ty. With wit, heart, and keen self-awareness, he allows us to see him in totality and forces us to feel our way through his journey toward contentment, wholeness and reconciliation with faith and family as an unapologetically black, queer and Southern man. I know our patron saint Beyoncé would be proud!