The American vision is Europe is that of the slightly run-down social democracy: cobblestones and good food, free healthcare and high taxes, underpowered cars and low crime. The European vision of America? Basically, what they see in movies.

This time around, we have the dark truth about Europe in Axel Taiari’s “Fatima”—it’s a Paris you haven’t seen. Ghetto life, hip-hop, gang fights and, yes, an underpowered car (and maybe even the hint of a love story…?). Ireland’s Michael McGlade’s “Wooden Nickels” shows us the underbelly of New York in the early 1990s. We didn’t have the heart to tell ‘im that payphones cost a quarter even back then, given the name of the story and all. But other than that, it is pitch perfect and just like the Lower East Side I remember from a few years later.

If you like our travels around the world, do your part and buy this issue as an ebook or take out a subscription via Weightless Books. If electrons aren’t your thing (and yet, you’re still here??) don’t sweat it—we’re working on our first print anthology for 2016! Watch this space for more news.

Keep Crimin’,

The Editors