Decadence

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.

Praise for Decadence"Funny and poignant . . . Kemick’s wit and curmudgeonly self-regard is offset by his palpable adoration of his partner, Litia, evoking the work of David Sedaris. It’s a weird and rewarding ride."—Publishers Weekly"An opening piece about his ongoing relationship, begun in teenagehood, with his miniature Christmas village sets the tone for this whimsical, Sedaris-esque collection of autobiographical essays."—Emily Donaldson, Globe and Mail"In Decadence, a collection of autobiographical essays by Richard Kelly Kemick . . . sadness is mixed with cautious optimism. He has a way of noticing odd details and meaningful moments that pass us by when we are with those closest to us."—Bill Paul, BC ReviewPraise 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