I'm assistant editor at Cornell's lit mag, EPOCH. What this means is that I read all of the poetry slush that hits the inbin, as well as a good amount of fiction (probably more, actually). While recommendations from MFA candidates such as myself will get the submissions onto the poetry editor's desk, they won't do more than that. That is, we cannot simply print the work of friends. (I know you're not suggesting this, but it bears stating!) We have no affiliation with other programs and their lit mags, so it makes no difference whether the writer went to Iowa or to prison (we've printed a few inmates producing vastly better material than folks in certain programs).
Yes, the 8 assistant editors at EPOCH cycle yearly, but the poetry editor and head editor remain the same, so the magazine is strikingly consistent. The same can't be said for publications run exclusively by students.
Hope this is helpful.
Nick
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