I Don't Want to Die Poor

Written by Michael Arceneaux

Narrated by Michael Arceneaux

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781797104027

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. 

Reviews for I Don't Want to Die Poor

[ryanjaymce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book about one of the biggest social issues of our time. I liked his narration and the concept of talking about the emotional impact on every dynamic of his life regarding student loans rather than just copy and pasting statistics about the student loan crisis. My favorite part of the book was the chapter that he dedicated to his mother. My least favorite part of the book is just my gripe with people from big cities and how they talk about people from rural towns/states.

[Angie Herrera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book very much. Smart, honest, and funny.

[librolindsay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't know quite how to rate this. Part of me would rank it under 4 stars. In part, it is my own fault--I thought it was going to be a little heavier on the research/historical context/whatever angle than memoir. My fault--not Arceneaux's. But as such, I lost concentration on a chuck of it that fell more into his pop culture critiques, especially when they felt only loosely tethered to the topic at hand. Also, the media I've sought out by peers, relative-age-wise, on this topic of heavy student loan debt seems to be from people who've made it to LA and/or NYC. They've got hustle and aspirations that I don't have, and while I commend them for that, it also alienating, as someone nearing 40, living in the much cheaper Midwest, but still struggling to make ends meet.

But that also speaks to the secondary harm caused by crippling SLD. It can make you jealous, willing to pick apart others for their successes and choices, and Arseneaux examines that emotional side effect here. He delves deep into the guilt and anxiety SLD can create. The constant second-guessing of ourselves, the judgment we assign to ourselves, compounded by that assigned by the rest of America. The conundrum that, yes, we created this burden for ourselves, but it was also created by decades...centuries...of a capitalistic, racist, misogynist, delusions-of-meritocracy America. And if we've learned anything, our government would rather have us argue among ourselves than work together to make fundamental change to make life more equitable. That is what you'll find here, as seen through Arseneaux's lens as a gay Black man. I should also mention that his humor comes out particularly well on audio, so give that a listen if you can.