The cover of the first issue featured a fire-engine red background with white text and a "photo-realistic" painting by Oxford painter Glennray Tutor of an abandoned gasoline pump.

[citation needed] In April 1995, author and Oxford resident John Grisham secured financing to bring the magazine back into publication.

[6] In February 2009, a "mystery donor" gave the magazine $100,000 to repay the IRS debt incurred as a result of the embezzlement.

[7][8] In July 2012, a few weeks before Issue 78 of the magazine was published, several editorial employees (including a recently fired senior editor and a recently fired intern) made allegations of sexual harassment against founder/editor Marc Smirnoff and managing editor Carol Ann Fitzgerald.

[12][13] One reporter concluded that "The Oxford American board didn’t have any clear misbehavioral conduct by Sminoff with which to warrant termination.

[21] In January 2016, Ryan Harris was named Executive Director of the Oxford American Literary Project, the non-profit organization that publishes the magazine.

Molly McCully Brown was named the inaugural recipient of the fellowship, which includes a $10,000 living stipend, housing, and an editorial apprenticeship with the Oxford American.

[26] In March 2018, the Oxford American published its 100th issue, featuring an original cover painting by Wayne White.