Decadence - by Richard Kelly Kemick (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A collection of essays, ranging from the personal to the humorously mundane, Decadence spans a decade in the life of writer Richard Kelly Kemick.

The subjects of these essays are far-ranging, including Christmas villages, volleyball, municipal landfills, high-school plays, and dog fur. They feature the same rotating cast of characters: friends, family, Litia--Kemick's partner of ten years--and their newborn son.

Throughout the course of Decadence, a narrative is gradually revealed. The collection begins with the early days of Kemick's relationship with his long-time partner; the collection closes with the surprising, unconventional end to their romance. In the pages between, Kemick creates a repository of humour and epiphany that make up the odds and ends of living.

These essays are for fans of David Sedaris and David Rakoff. However, unlike the books published by these authors, Decadence puts on display the writer's evolution. The contents, in chronological order, span the ten years it took Kemick to write this collection, revealing a gradual shift in his voice and priorities.

Review Quotes

Praise for Hello, Horse

"The tales here mix whimsy, weirdness, lust, and Canadian politics, bringing to mind George Saunders and the slackers from Wayne's World . . . He has a penchant for alternating between things familiar and bizarre . . . Provocative, entertaining short fiction."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Richard Kelly Kemick's Hello, Horse is wildly original and filled with astonishing moments. A wonderful collection that resonates long after reading."--Don Gillmor, author of Breaking and Entering

"Hello, Horse is beguiling and wondrous, with talking dogs and nuns at the end of the world, images that linger with strange pleasure; Richard Kelly Kemick is a stellar wordsmith."--Mark Anthony Jarman, author of Burn Man

Praise for Richard Kelly Kemick

"Kemick convincingly wrests the sublime from the trivial. He manages, astonishingly, a tone both earnest and ironic, with details and insights that are lively, unexpected, funny, and poignant."--National Magazine Awards

"Richard Kemick spends a summer in Alberta's Bible Belt where it may be easier to find God than a vegetarian meal. There, he confronts age-old questions about belief with near-miraculous freshness, honesty, and humour. A deeply personal investigation of the blurred border between faith and imagination."--Marcello Di Cintio, author of Driven: The Secret Lives of Taxi Drivers

About the Author

Richard Kelly Kemick is an award-winning poet, journalist, and fiction writer. His debut collection of short stories, Hello, Horse, was published by Biblioasis in 2024. He is also the author of I Am Herod (available on audiobook), the poetry collection Caribou Run, and the stage play Amor De Cosmos: A Delusional Musical. Richard's limited series podcast, Natural Life, is an intimate and unexpectedly honest documentary on his cousin, who is serving a life sentence without parole in Michigan.