I Am Herod by Richard Kelly Kemick
Finalist, Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction On a whim, armchair-atheist Richard Kelly Kemick joins the 100-plus cast of The Canadian Badlands Passion Play, North America's largest production of its kind and one of the main tourist attractions in Alberta. By the time closing night is over, Kemick has a story to tell. From the controversial choice of casting to the bizarre life in rehearsal, this glorious behind-the-scenes look at one of Canada's strangest theatrical spectacles also confronts the role of religion in contemporary life and the void left by its absence for non-believers. In the tradition of tragic luminaries such as David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Goldstein, and David Sedaris, I Am Herod gives its congregation of readers unparalleled access to the players of the Passion: there's Judas, who wears a leather jacket even when it's 30˚C; the Chief Sadducee, who is ostracized for his fanaticism; Pilate, the only actor who swears; the Holy Spirit, who is breaking ground as the role's first female actor; and the understudy Christ, the previous year's real-deal Christ who was demoted to backup and now performs illicit one-man shows backstage.
"Kemick's book is that delicious cross between Waiting for Guffman and The Studhorse Man, a rousing personal comedy that dances between the sweat of art and the glue of experienceNothing like it exists in non-fiction, but don't read it for that reason. Read it because it sticks to your fingers and you can't shake it off." -- Dave Bidini, author of Midnight Light: A Personal Journey to The North
"In the end, I Am Herod is a very funny book with an underlying pathos and sweetness which I found quite moving." * Atlantic Books Today *
"In the end, I Am Herod is a very funny book with an underlying pathos and sweetness which I found quite moving." * Atlantic Books Today *
Richard Kelly Kemick is the recipient of numerous awards, including two National Magazine Awards, an Alberta Literary Award, and the Norma Epstein Award. His debut poetry collection, Caribou Run, was published to critical acclaim in 2016. His writing has appeared in magazines, journals, and anthologies across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, including the Walrus, the New Quarterly, This Magazine, the Fiddlehead, Numéro Cinq, and Taddle Creek. He divides his time between Calgary, AB, and Rossland, BC. I Am Herod is his first book-length work of non-fiction.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781773101422 |
| ISBN 10 | 1773101420 |
| Title | I Am Herod |
| Author | Richard Kelly Kemick |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Goose Lane Editions |
| Year published | 2019-10-08 |
| Number of pages | 240 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction 2020 (Canada) |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |