Open City's opening credo, announced in an ad in a 1991 issue of The
Village Voice calling for submissions, was "Primary sources, nervous
voices." Featuring fiction, poetry, and essays by an exciting array of
debut writers and established talents. Open City's editorial taste is
eclectic, though a common thread is an attempt at exposing, elucidating,
and getting as close as possible to the human predicament in all its
facets, with intimacy, candor, irony, and wit. Contributions to Open
City frequently appear in The Best American Short Stories, The Best
American Poetry, The Best Creative Nonfiction, The Best Nonrequired
Reading, and The Pushcart Prize. Open City #26 contains stories by
Rachel Sherman, Jonathan Ames, Bryan Charles, and Nick Flynn.