Decadence (limited edition)

Description

Finalist for the 2026 Hilary Weston Writers Trust Prize for NonfictionThe genre of memoir is bullshit (as I humbly posit). No one actually lives like they are moving along some grand Freytags triangle. Rather, we live within isolated instances, specific struggles and victories, which, when compiled, form a narrative.Richard Kelly KemickInDecadence, Richard Kelly Kemicks accidental memoir of a sort,the author ranges widely through his myriad preoccupations andobsessionsvolleyball, municipal landfills, dogs, high school plays,Christmas villages, loveout of which the shape of a unique sensibilityis revealed. Reminiscent of the three DavidsRakoff, Sedaris, andWallacethese essays accrete into a portrait of a man trying to makesense of a world in which there are no goddamn rules; and yet one inwhich every action has sometimes profound consequences. A book ofintelligence and care and kindness and humour and yearning and theoccasional epiphany,Decadencegathers up from the odds and ends of living what makes a modern lifequiet and desperate as it may at times beworth celebrating.Praise forDecadenceRichard Kelly KemicksDecadenceprovides a narrative about interiority that is funny, curious, self-deprecating, and occasionally and gloriously ridiculous. Beneath Kemicks 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 NonfictionAn 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 MailThis is writing with a pulse and personality. As a narrator of his own life, Kemick is funny, contemplative, and self-effacing. In the books 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 BookwormInDecadence, 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 ReviewWow, I was blown away. I adored this book for all the same reasons David Sedaris is my favourite writer; its hilarious, poignant, and still relatable.Anne Logan,Ive Read ThisFunny and poignant . . . Kemicks wit and curmudgeonly self-regard is offset by his palpable adoration of his partner, Litia, evoking the work of David Sedaris. Its a weird and rewarding ride.Publishers WeeklyAre they short stories? Essays? Vignettes of a life? This collection is amazing. Page turning in its funny, heartfelt, real, beautiful way. An absolute gem of a read.Erin Chervenock, Village Books (Bellingham, WA)What an unexpected delight. This accidental memoir is packed with some of the most poignant and hilarious essays Ive ever read. The authors ability to elevate the mundane is masterful, and more than once I found myself cackling out loud when reading this in public. Im so glad I picked this up, and I cant wait to share it with more readers.Becca Naylor, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)Witty and insightful, this memoir has a different feel to it than most. Its a celebration of the quirky nature of life. Through a series of vignettes, Richard shares his observations on an array of topics which reminds the reader that the true nature of life is often found in the unexpected.Shannon Alden, Literati Bookstore (Ann Arbor, MI)Is it a memoir or is it essays? YES, on both counts. Essays because it is written in pieces. Memoir because it comes from the authors memories of life. But whatever we choose to call it, this is a wondrous set of short stories about events, people, and conversations. It is written in the humorous, insightful style of an author who has garnered a loving set of followersthose who, when they pick a new book by Kemick, expect only the bestand know they will get it. My favourite of these stories is The Young Taxidermist of Alberta (Canada), but youll likely have your own favourite once youve consumed these pages. I envy you the discovery!Linda Bond, Aunties Bookstore (Spokane, WA)Looking at the topics of the essays in this collection, its almost as if Kemick was challenging himself. Which subjects can I select that will be of least obvious interest for a reader, and how far can I exceed those expectations? By light years, as it happens. Im not crying over this essay about porcelain Christmas villages, youre crying!James Crossley, Leviathan Bookstore (St Louis, MO)Praise forHello, HorseThe tales here mix whimsy, weirdness, lust, and Canadian politics, bringing to mind George Saunders and the slackers fromWaynes World. . . He has a penchant for alternating between things familiar and bizarre . . . Provocative, entertaining short fiction.Kirkus Reviews(starred review)Richard Kelly KemicksHello, Horseis wildly original and filled with astonishing moments. A wonderful collection that resonates long after reading.Don Gillmor, author ofBreaking and EnteringHello, Horseis 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 ofBurn ManPraise for Richard Kelly KemickKemick 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 AwardsRichard Kemick spends a summer in Albertas 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 ofDriven: The Secret Lives of Taxi Drivers