What does it mean to live in exile, and how can writing become a form of resistance? In this powerful conversation, Carmen Rodriguez—Chilean-Canadian writer, educator, and journalist—reflects on a life shaped by political exile following the 1973 Chilean coup, and on more than five decades of cultural, literary, and community work in Canada. Carmen speaks about: • What exile truly means beyond displacement
• Building cultural community and memory in Canada
• Writing in two languages as a creative and political practice
• Challenging stereotypes faced by Latin American artists
• Writing as activism, truth-telling, and resistance
• Her novel Atacama and the role of art in confronting historical violence
• Why joy, hope, and happiness are themselves acts of resistance

Rather than focusing on a single political moment, this interview offers a timeless reflection on memory, belonging, and the power of storytelling in the lives of people forced to leave their homelands.