Richard Kelly Kemick (born 28 December 1989) is a Canadian author, journalist, and poet. Most notably, he has published a book of
poetry
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
, a
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
collection, and a book of
creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts ...
.
Biography
Kemick was born in
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...
.
In 2012, he graduated with a BA degree from the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
, followed by an MA from the
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English language, English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universiti ...
in 2014. In 2020, he received a PhD in
English literature
English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...
from the
University of Calgary
{{Infobox university
, name = University of Calgary
, image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
, former ...
.
Career
In 2016, Kemick published the poetry collection ''Caribou Run'' with
Goose Lane Editions
Goose Lane Editions is a Canadian Publishing, book publishing company founded in 1954 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick as Fiddlehead Poetry Books by Fred Cogswell and a group of students and faculty from the University of ...
.
In 2019, he published a book of creative nonfiction book, ''I Am Herod,'' again with Goose Lane Editions.
''I Am Herod'' depicted Kemick's time acting in The Canadian Badlands Passion Play, North America's largest
Passion Play
The Passion Play or Easter pageant is a dramatic Play (theatre), presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus: his Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, trial, suffering and death. The viewing of and participation in Passion Plays is a traditional part of L ...
on the Canada's largest outdoor stage. ''I Am Herod'' was shortlisted in 2020 for the Writers' Guild of Alberta's Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction.
Kemick wrote and produced a five-part
podcast
A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...
, ''Natural Life,'' in 2022. The series focuses on Kemick's cousin, who is serving a natural life sentence (
life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...
without the possibility of parole) in
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
for first-degree murder.
In 2023, Kemick wrote the book for ''Amor De Cosmos: A Delusional Musical,'' (music by Lindsey Walker) which was performed in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
, and
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
, and was named a Critics Pick of the 2023
Toronto Fringe Festival
The Toronto Fringe Festival is an annual theatre festival, featuring un-juried plays by unknown or well-known artists, taking place in the theatres of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Several productions originally mounted at the Fringe have later been ...
. The one-person play, written entirely in
iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter ( ) is a type of metric line used in traditional English poetry and verse drama. The term describes the rhythm, or meter, established by the words in each line. Meter is measured in small groups of syllables called feet. "Iambi ...
, centres on
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
's second premier,
Amor De Cosmos
Amor De Cosmos (born William Alexander Smith; August 20, 1825 – July 4, 1897) was a Canadian journalist, publisher and politician. He served as the second premier of British Columbia.
Early life
Amor De Cosmos was born William Alexander Smith ...
, who rose to national prominence before being declared legally insane.
Kemick is also known as a short story writer, having published widely in literary journals and magazines across North America. In 2017, he was shortlisted for the
Journey Prize
The Journey Prize (officially called The Writers' Trust of Canada McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize) is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by McClelland and Stewart and the Writers' Trust of Canada for the best short stories published b ...
(a prize for emerging writers), only to be disqualified when "concerns about similarities between his short story 'The Most Human Part of You' and a piece by American author
Amy Hempel
Amy Hempel (born December 14, 1951) is an American short story writer and journalist. She teaches creative writing at the Michener Center for Writers.
Life
Hempel was born in Chicago, Illinois. She moved to California at age 16, which is wher ...
" emerged; in an interview, Kemick apologized and took responsibility for his story. Seven years later, in 2024, Kemick published his first book of short stories, ''Hello, Horse.'' The collection was published by
Biblioasis
Biblioasis is a Canadian independent bookstore and publishing company, based in Windsor, Ontario.John Metcalf imprint.
Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
awarded the collection a starred review and stated, "The tales here mix whimsy, weirdness, lust, and Canadian politics, bringing to mind George Saunders and the slackers from Wayne's World". The title story, "Hello, Horse," (
The Fiddlehead
''The Fiddlehead'' is a Canadian literary magazine, published four times annually at the University of New Brunswick. It is the oldest Canadian literary magazine which is still in circulation.
History and profile
''The Fiddlehead'' was establ ...
Canadian National Magazine Award
The National Media Awards Foundation (NMAF) is a Canadian charity whose mission is to recognize excellence in the content and creation of Canadian magazines and Canadian digital publishing through two annual awards programs: the National Magazine ...
's gold medal in Short Story for his story "The Unitarian Church's Annual Young Writer's Short Story Competition" ( The New Quarterly).
Kemick has contributed regularly to the Walrus magazine. In 2016, he won the Canadian National Magazine Award's gold medal in One of a Kind for his story “Playing God” (The Walrus), a reflection on his singular obsession with building Christmas villages.
He is also a regular contributor to
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...