''Fine Madness'' was a literary magazine that was published from 1982–2006, in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

. It was included in the anthology Best American Poetry. The

editorial board The editorial board is a group of editors, writers, and other people who are charged with implementing a publication's approach to editorials and other opinion pieces. The editorials published normally represent the views or goals of the publicat ...

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 Alan Maynard Wald (born June 1, 1946) is an American professor emeritus of English Literature and American Culture at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and writer of 20th-century American literature who focuses on Communist writers; he is an ...

, and Sherry Rind. The magazine's name came from an excerpt of a poem by English poet

Michael Drayton Michael Drayton ( – ) was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era, continuing to write through the reign of James I and into the reign of Charles I. Many of his works consisted of historical poetry. He was also the fir ...

(1563–1631): The first issue was produced single-handedly by Bergsagel in 1982; the second volume with its full board appeared in 1984 as a triquarterly; issues then appeared semiannually through volume 10; annual issues appeared for 10 years thereafter. Bergsagel left the magazine in 1995. The last issue was number 30. An

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

was also published, ''March Hares: The Best Poems from Fine Madness 1982 – 2002.'' The editorial guidelines stated, Fine Madness'' is seeking writers with distinctive voices, and writing that shows a mind working, not just a tongue. We are open to almost any style of poetry or prose, provided that the form works for the piece and not against it.' For several years the magazine offered awards outstanding work in the current issue: the

Nelson Bentley Nelson Bentley (1918–1990) was an American poet and professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. He was born in Elm, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan, receiving his bachelor's and then his master's degree from tha ...

Editor's Choice, the Kay Deeter Award, and the Mark Anderson Award (all $500). These awards were funded by individual donors. 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 Albert Goldbarth (born January 31, 1948) is an American poet. He has won the National Book Critics Circle award for "Saving Lives" (2001) and "Heaven and Earth: A Cosmology" (1991), the only poet to receive the honor two times. He also won the Mar ...

Naomi Shihab Nye Naomi Shihab Nye (; born March 12, 1952) is an Arab American poet, editor, songwriter, and novelist. Born to a Palestinian father and an American mother, she began composing her first poetry at the age of six. In total, she has published or con ...

Dannie Abse Daniel Abse Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE FRSL (22 September 1923 – 28 September 2014) was a Welsh poet and physician. His poetry won him many awards. As a medic, he worked in a chest clinic for over 30 years. Early years ...

Tess Gallagher Tess Gallagher (born 1943) is an American poet, essayist, and short story writer. Among her many honors were a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts award, Maxine Cushing Gray Foundation Award. Biography ...

Ted Kooser Theodore J. Kooser (born April 25, 1939) is an American poet. He won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2005. He served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004 to 2006. Kooser was one of the first poets laureate ...

, Pattiann Rogers, William Stafford,

Andrei Codrescu Andrei Codrescu (; born December 20, 1946) is a Romanian-born American poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and commentator for National Public Radio. He is the winner of the Peabody Award for his film ''Road Scholar'' and the Ovid Prize for ...

Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Native American novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from several tribes. He grew up ...

, Linda Bierds, Matthew Hittinger, and Greg Kuzma.

References

1982 establishments in Washington (state) 2006 disestablishments in Washington (state) Annual magazines published in the United States Biannual magazines published in the United States Defunct literary magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1982 Magazines disestablished in 2006 Magazines published in Seattle Poetry magazines published in the United States {{US-lit-mag-stub