AustLit

'We are not only delighted, but also relieved, to see this new issue of Meniscus emerge into the world. As contributors and readers will know, we are several weeks behind schedule, which has caused the editors some anxiety. The tardiness is, of course, an effect of the global pandemic; and while we in Australia and New Zealand have escaped most of the devastation, there have been bollards in our roads too. We are very grateful for the kindness offered by so many contributors, and their recognition that the world no longer operates according to the standards of business-as-usual.' (Editorial introduction)

'During this time of global crisis, when the COVID-19 pandemic has affected most people in the world in profound ways, creative writing is increasingly important—not only as a form of self-expression, and sometimes recovery, but as a way of articulating significant concerns that belong to the various communities the writers inhabit.

The works in the December 2020 issue of Meniscus range over various issues, many of them connected to personal feelings and relationships and particular domestic and quotidian occasions and situations. They explore ways in which people understand their connections to, and alienations from others and their relationships to received ideas and the complexities of language.

'I recommend this Meniscus issue to you and the diverse and bracing stories and poems it contains.'  (Paul Hetherington, Editorial)

'When the Australasian Association of Writing Programs decided in 2013 to establish a literary journal, those of us who took on the role of editors settled on the name ‘Meniscus’ and drafted the explanatory statement that is now located in the ‘About Us’ section of the website:

Meniscus is named for the curve that forms at the top surface of a container of liquid. The curve is caused by surface tension, which not only holds the fluid in, but also allows the passage of objects through the surface. It creates uncertainty for anyone attempting a precise measurement because of the parallax effect. The combination of tension, openness and uncertainty can be read as an analogy for creative writing. 

'While Sandra Arnold and I were working on this issue, the shattering news of the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand emerged in the media, and this grim, heartbreaking evidence of xenophobia, hate speech and cultural supremacy coloured the remaining time we spent selecting, editing and preparing the issue for publication. It also hardened our resolve, as editors, to remain firmly committed to publishing creative works that are open to differences and possibilities (like the meniscus itself, which affords both a border and permeability); that allow nuance and complexity (avoiding any ‘precise measurement’), and are able to express, and even celebrate, the ‘tension, openness and uncertainty’ that are so much part of human society.' (Jen Webb, Editorial introduction)