June is a month linked to freedom. Whether it’s the arrival of the day that school’s out for summer, the warm days perfect for sprawling out on the grass with a good book or the beginning of road trip season, June signals the end of the ties that winter and school have over us (at least in the northern hemisphere!). Our European Pen Pals can attest to the pleasure of being done (and home) for the summer too. This month’s submissions reflect such freedom as we deviate slightly from our typical offerings. We have two novel excerpts for you, each very different yet both quite engaging and two installments each of poetry and art. Bon appétit! Fiction Our first excerpt is from Legends of the Treasure by Mike Squatrito, the first book in his fantasy…

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Editor’s note: This is the last exchange between Simran and Rachael as they end their Study Abroad semesters. You can find their previous pen pal exchanges here, here and here. The Sacre Coeur Basilica image above is courtesy Simran. The Basilica di San Domenico image is courtesy Rachael. Photo montage courtesy Grace Chu. But wait! There’s one last installment to follow, when they write each other about what it’s like to be back home. Coming soon. ** April 17 Hi Sim! Oh good luck with your papers and everything. I hope you enjoy the last few weeks! My program ends in the middle of May, so I’m not quite at that stage of thinking about the end yet. I love this question about being alone, actually because it’s definitely been a significant and changing part of my time…

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Although I’m sure they would secretly prefer the Fictional Cafe for a cup of java and creativity, Rachael and Simran have found local coffee hangouts in Paris and Bologna—and have found them interestingly different in several respects from their American counterparts. Here’s part three of their pen-palling. ** April 10 Hi Sim! Sorry for the delay—I was gone this weekend on a program trip to Venice. (If you end up visiting Italy, definitely see Venice! There are many tourists, of course, but there are also these beautiful hidden canals, one of which has this old bookstore overflowing with books—and sometimes with water.) I have similar feelings about the energy of the students in Bologna. And I too, especially since this is a university town, thought that café culture would be a big part of the city….

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Herewith, armchair travelers, for your reading pleasure is the next installment in the adventures of our European study abroad pen pals. Their discussion deepens as we see similar reactions to the large collegiate student environments of Bologna and Paris, as well as some musings on their writing [of course], art and architectures, all of which have deep, storied resonance in Europe. So, without further preluding, let’s read what Rachael and Simran wrote each other in their second exchange. ** April 3 Hi Simran, Thanks for your response! This exchange is cool—like modern pen pals. That sounds lovely writing by the Charles. Though I go to school in Maine, I’m from Boston and I’m especially missing it in the spring! I’m actually studying in Bologna, which is a university city a bit north of Florence in the…

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March 30, 2017 Dear Rachael Allen and Simran P. Gupta: First off, I’d like to introduce you to each other. Rachael, Ms. Gupta is a junior at Simmons College and has been blogging and working for FC since last October. She’s about to become a full-fledged Barista. Simran, Ms. Allen is a junior at Bowdoin College [Managing Editor Mike’s alma mater], and like you an English major. Both of you are contributors to Fictional Café, bloggers, and write for your college newspapers. AND you’re both spending a semester in Study Abroad programs, Rachael in Bologna, Italy, and Simran in Paris. We figured you’re likely to have some pretty interesting experiences, and ought to write about them for FC. So here’s a special assignment for you: Please write to each other about your European experiences. Ask each other…

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