Praise for Decadence“Richard Kelly Kemick’s Decadence provides a narrative about interiority that is funny, curious, self-deprecating, and occasionally and gloriously ridiculous. Beneath Kemick’s wit and (truly) random obsessions is an exceptionally attentive meditation about the emotional weight of quotidian life and the strange difficulty of becoming an adult. Across a range of explorations about love, grief, loneliness, failure, family, and self-worth, Kemick is refreshingly honest about the limits of introspection, even as he offers an elaborate examination of his own catalogue of shortcomings. The result of this ‘accidental memoir of a sort’ is a deeply genuine, anxiously original, and immensely enjoyable portrait of life in progress.”—Jury citation, 2026 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction"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“This is writing with a pulse and personality. As a narrator of his own life, Kemick is funny, contemplative, and self-effacing. In the book’s penultimate essay, ‘The Briefcase,’ he confesses that he yearns to publish a novel, but it keeps eluding him. ‘The faster you run, the faster it flees,’ he says. I, for one, hope he finishes it.”—Jadine Ngan, LRC Bookworm"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 Review"Wow, I was blown away. I adored this book for all the same reasons David Sedaris is my favourite writer; it’s hilarious, poignant, and still relatable."—Anne Logan, I've Read ThisPraise 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
