I Dont Want to Die Poor, Michael Arceneaux
I Dont Want to Die Poor, Michael Arceneaux
7 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

I Don't Want to Die Poor

Author: Michael Arceneaux

Narrator: Michael Arceneaux

Unabridged: 7 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/07/2020


Synopsis

One of NPR’s Best Books of 2020
One of Time’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2020

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Can’t Date Jesus, which Vogue called “a piece of personal and cultural storytelling that is as fun as it is illuminating,” comes a wry and insightful essay collection that explores the financial and emotional cost of chasing your dreams.

Ever since Oprah Winfrey told the 2007 graduating class of Howard University, “Don’t be afraid,” Michael Arceneaux has been scared to death. You should never do the opposite of what Oprah instructs you to do, but when you don’t have her pocket change, how can you not be terrified of the consequences of pursuing your dreams?

Michael has never shied away from discussing his struggles with debt, but in I Don’t Want to Die Poor, he reveals the extent to which it has an impact on every facet of his life—how he dates; how he seeks medical care (or in some cases, is unable to); how he wrestles with the question of whether or not he should have chosen a more financially secure path; and finally, how he has dealt with his “dream” turning into an ongoing nightmare as he realizes one bad decision could unravel all that he’s earned. You know, actual “economic anxiety.”

I Don’t Want to Die Poor is an unforgettable and relatable examination about what it’s like leading a life that often feels out of your control. But in Michael’s voice that’s “as joyful as he is shrewd” (BuzzFeed), these razor-sharp essays will still manage to make you laugh and remind you that you’re not alone in this often intimidating journey.

About 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 TimesThe Washington Post, EssenceEsquireEbonyElleRolling 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 Dont Want to Die Poor. He’s working very hard to avoid such fate. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Cindy

Update: Changing my GR rating to 3.5 stars rather than rounding it up to 4 as I realize that there's a lot more potential for Arceneaux to dig even deeper and more personal with his writing that I would've liked to see! I enjoyed listening to Arceneaux read the essays in his audiobook - he has a sarc......more

Goodreads review by Thomas

So appreciated this funny, vulnerable essay collection from Michael Arceneaux that centers on what it feels like to have immense student loan debt. In a wry, relatable tone, Arceneaux writes about the impact of debt on several facets of his life, ranging from his decision to seek or not seek medical......more


Quotes

"The charisma in [Author Michael Arceneaux]'s performance makes this a fun audio to hear. He knows how to embrace the pathos in his life and fully express the humor in his snappy writing. . . . Together, his honest delivery and the helter-skelter quality of his life make this an addictive kind of audio. His father was a tough and abusive alcoholic, his mother both nurturing and fearsome. His accounts of managing his homelife, his overeating, his being gay, and his quest to be a media star will make listeners want to root for his success and happiness."