[2] It was deemed by the Washington Post "Book World" to be "one of the nation's best literary magazines."

[3] Notable writers who have contributed to this journal include Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, Pushcart Prize winner Ira Sadoff and PEN/Hemingway Award recipient Jennifer Haigh.

More recent contributors of note include Peter Selgin, Darrin Doyle, Karen Brown, Aryn Kyle, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Matt Clark, Alicia Gifford, Ann Harleman, Christien Gholson, Alison Baker, Jacob M. Appel, John Gamel, Mary Stewart Atwell, Kirstin Allio, Henri Cole, United States Poet Laureate W.S.

Contributing editors include former United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins, Olena Kalytiak Davis, Stuart Dischell, Stuart Dybek, Nancy Eimers, Patricia Hampl, Amy Hempel, Jane Hirshfield, Dorianne Laux, Pattiann Rogers, Michael Ryan, Peggy Shumaker, Benjamin J. Spatz, and Elizabeth Bradfield.

The late Grace Paley and Maxine Kumin were also long-term contributing editors.