Yes, they can do whatever the hell they want. But people are entirely justified in criticizing what can only be described as an elitist, asinine policy. The fact that it comes "from a good place" is entirely irrelevant. The UK is a good place, but the Vegemite that comes out of it is still awful, and I wouldn't get defensive if someone complained about it.
Tin House is a good magazine. This shows their intelligence and awareness of people who want to be writers, but don't stay current with the great stuff that's out there being published all the time. And you need to be. There's no argument. When I run into someone who wants to be a writer and they don't have any books or articles they've read recently that they feel passionately about one way or another, or can't name some of the better, less well known authors in their attempted field, I don't have much hope for their work. I'm occasionally surprised otherwise, but usually not.
@5, them's fighting words. Not "Vegemite is awful" but "Vegemite comes from the UK". Vegemite comes from Australia, and people in the UK are bitterly partisan about their own yeast extract, which is called Marmite.
Both are delicious, by the way. I have jars of both at home, and enjoy them equally.
@9, a Brit or an Aussie would punch me in the face for saying this, but they're not hugely different. Marmite's a little darker, a little thicker, and a little bitterer. Vegemite's a lighter brown and a little easier to spread.
I once ordered a commemorative jar of special Guinness Marmite from the UK, and when it arrived, the pressure in the cargo plane or something had caused a good half of the contents to ooze out past the still-intact seal, rendering the entire package a squishy, sticky dark brown mess that the mailman was really not happy about delivering.
The only people scared off by receipts are those who aren't really participating.
Both are delicious, by the way. I have jars of both at home, and enjoy them equally.
I once ordered a commemorative jar of special Guinness Marmite from the UK, and when it arrived, the pressure in the cargo plane or something had caused a good half of the contents to ooze out past the still-intact seal, rendering the entire package a squishy, sticky dark brown mess that the mailman was really not happy about delivering.