The Substance of Place with Jenn Alandy Trahan
Saturday, May 16, 2026
4-5:15pm ET
Virtual (Zoom)
$25
The second lecture in our 2026 Lecture Series takes place Saturday, May 16, from 4-5:15pm ET with Jenn Alandy Trahan, author of OS #271, “The Freak Winds Up Again.” Jenn will lecture on how iconic films create a strong sense of place.
The Substance of Place
What can fiction writers learn from visual storytellers? In an interview with Vogue, The Substance director Coralie Fargeat says that each location in her film “represents something…having these strong visual statements from the start can [suggest to] the audience that we are in a distinct world that has its own rules. We don’t care about realism or reality—we’re in the world of The Substance.” Through deep dives into the iconic worlds of 1985’s Back to the Future, 1991’s Boyz n the Hood, 1994’s The Sandlot, 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth, 2019’s Parasite, and 2023’s The Substance, this lecture and group discussion will focus on how to create an unforgettable sense of place in our own fiction.
This is part of our 2026 Lecture Series. You can purchase the entire series by going here.
About Jenn Alandy Trahan:
Jenn Alandy Trahan was born in Houston, Texas to Filipino immigrants and raised in Vallejo, California. A first-generation college graduate, she has a BA in English from the University of California, Irvine and an MA in English and MFA in Fiction from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. A Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Fiction brought Jenn to Stanford, where she’s currently a Jones Lecturer teaching fiction, creative nonfiction, and contemporary American short stories. Published in Permafrost, Blue Mesa Review, Harper’s, One Story, and The Best American Short Stories, Jenn’s work has also been generously supported by the Community of Writers, the Elizabeth George Foundation, Gullkistan, Plympton and The Writer’s Block, The Edith Wharton & Straw Dog Writers Guild Writer-in-Residence Program, Cultivate’s La Baldi Residency, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, and Write On, Door County.
How It Works
When you register, you’ll be enrolled in a portal on Thinkific, our online learning platform, which will give you access to the Zoom link for the lecture along with any reading you’ll need to complete in advance of the class. This is also where the videos will be uploaded after the lectures take place.
FAQ
When can I register for this class?
Registration is open now and will remain open throughout the year.
Will I be able to interact with the lecturers?
Yes. Students will be able to ask questions and chat with lecturers during the live lectures. There will be no instructor engagement once the lecture concludes.
How much time will the class take?
Each lecture runs between one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes.
Can I take the class on my phone?
Yes, the class can be taken on a phone.
Do you offer financial aid or scholarships for this class?
If the cost of the class is a significant burden, please email edu.support@one-story.com
Will the lecture be recorded?
Yes. Visit the Thinkific portal to watch a recording of the lecture once it concludes. Students will have access to the portal with the recording for one year after the purchase date.
Discounts & Policies
Our online classes are designed to be safe spaces for all who participate. One Story will not tolerate hate speech, bullying, or harassment directed toward instructors or fellow students, and reserves the right to remove participants who engage in such behavior from our classes.
Refund Policy: One Story class payment is non-refundable after the class’s start date. For this class, refunds are no longer available after May 14, 2026. For questions about the refund policy, or if you are unable to take the class after you have registered, please contact maribeth@one-story.com.
If you have any questions, please contact edu.support@one-story.com.
