[2] The editorial board included: poets Louis Bergsagel (founder), James Snydal, John W. Marshall, Kathryn Macdonald, and Sean Bentley.
Subsequent members of the board included poets Christine Deavel, John Malek, Anne Pitkin, Judith Skillman, David Edelman, Alan Wald (not Dr. Alan M. Wald, and Sherry Rind.
[3] The editorial guidelines stated, 'Fine Madness is seeking writers with distinctive voices, and writing that shows a mind working, not just a tongue.
The magazine itself was wholly supported by subscription and private donation, aside from a single National Endowment Award grant.
Among its notable contributors were Albert Goldbarth, Naomi Shihab Nye, Dannie Abse, Tess Gallagher, Ted Kooser, Pattiann Rogers, William Stafford, Andrei Codrescu, Sherman Alexie, Linda Bierds, and Greg Kuzma.