I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I've Put My Faith in Beyoncé
Written by Michael Arceneaux
Narrated by Michael Arceneaux
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
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 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.
Michael Arceneaux
Michael Arceneaux is the New York Times bestselling author of I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Essence, Esquire, Ebony, Elle, Rolling Stone, and many other publications on and off Al Gore’s internet. He’s ran his mouth on MSNBC, NPR, VH1, Viceland, Comedy Central, SiriusXM, and elsewhere. His second book is I Don’t Want to Die Poor. He’s working very hard to avoid such fate.
More audiobooks from Michael Arceneaux
I Finally Bought Some Jordans: Essays Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Don't Want to Die Poor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for I Can't Date Jesus
121 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As someone who grew up in a very religious household, while simultaneously trying to learn to navigate the world being queer and black, I found this book to be very comforting. He does an incredible job of capturing emotions that I had never taken the time to express for myself. Highly recommend
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Funny, bold, courageous in a way. I couldn’t stop reading it.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beautiful, thank you so much for writing your story. It was powerful and insightful and funny as fuck.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This book had a solid start but became rambly and whiny a few chapters in. I wanted to like it, but it was really hard to get through it. It was less a series of essays and more pure memoir. He included way too many details regarding every single woman and man he went out with and his sexual relationships with them. I didn’t appreciate the tone throughout the book which felt lost and confused and self-shaming. He talked about his struggles as if they’re still his current struggles and it doesn’t seem he’s gotten closure in any area in his life. I thought the book was going to be more essayistic and I would have liked that more.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantastic, humorous and truthful. Loved the authors honest approach to religion and how that approach makes the subject matter accessible.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved being able to hear the author read this book. He truly shared himself in this book and it was a great experience. I really hope his parents have the opportunity read/hear this book as well.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good listen although a little too much dating talk for me (though I should have known from the title). He made me laugh out loud a ton though (which was especially fun while walking my cart through the aisles at Target). Also his chapter on Beyoncé is beautiful; I hope he gets the chance to tell her everything one day.