"Can we speak about joy for once?" In contemporary Canadian literature, there is a resurgence of diasporic stories that capture the joy and resistance of carving space for community against the mechanisms of the state. This course uses creative writing and literary analysis to explore how our personal storytelling is shaped by our shifting relationships to this land and its history, drawing from fiction and nonfiction penned by celebrated Canadian writers of colour. Students will expand their creative thinking, critical reading and scholarly writing skills through multi-modal assignments that offer connections to current issues and community knowledge. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.