About Meniscus Magazine

Meniscus Magazine (meniscuszine.com) is an online publication that focuses on arts and entertainment news.  Meniscus Magazine® is cataloged with the U.S. Library of Congress under ISSN 2333-9373, and is registered with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

Some frequently asked questions about our publication:

How did Meniscus start?
Why the name “Meniscus?”
Who contributes to Meniscus and how can I submit my work?
I would like to use some Meniscus content on my Web site, print publication, etc. What is your policy?
How can I become a partner with Meniscus?
Do you do event sponsorships?
Where can I find limited-edition print copies of Meniscus?

How did Meniscus start? Not wanting to get involved with the politics of her high school newspaper, the founding editor started Meniscus as a print ‘zine in 1994 with the dream of becoming the ‘Zine of the Month in Sassy Magazine. Sadly, this dream was never fulfilled after Sassy’s demise, but the Meniscus train rolled ahead thanks to a love of writing and a desire to create opportunities for other people to publish their work.  As a result, Meniscus quickly established itself as one of the nation’s premier Asian American print ‘zines following reviews in A. Magazine: Inside Asian America and Giant Robot. Hailed by the University of California at Davis as a publication that “reflects the antic dynamism of Asian American arts and letters beyond its mainstream writers,” the publication switched to an online magazine following 11 print issues.

Why the name “Meniscus?”  It’s just a cool word from science class. How do you read the measurement of a liquid in a graduated cylinder? Check the bottom of the curve – the “meniscus” – that the liquid is making against the glass. (We learned about the second definition, often associated with knee injuries, much later.)

Who contributes to Meniscus and how can I submit my work? What types of articles does Meniscus publish? Our staff comprises a mix of veteran reporters and photographers, and those seeking more experience in the news business. Our current and past staff members have written for a variety of publications, including The Associated Press, Newsday, The Boston Globe, the San Jose Mercury News, the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Senses of Cinema and Film Monthly.

Meniscus is an arts, entertainment and lifestyle magazine. The articles and multimedia on our site have evolved with the staff’s personal interests, most notably in high-profile event coverage in some of the following areas (partial list):

  • Film: Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals; Tokyo FILMeX; international film festivals in Hong Kong, Busan, Melbourne, Singapore
  • Sports: NBA, WNBA, MLS, NHL, ATP & WTA Tours; Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics; Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
  • Fashion: Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Toronto, Tokyo and Hong Kong, plus press previews and red carpet coverage
  • Food: Chocolate Show New York, Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival
  • …and many other areas, including travel, music, books and technology.

To be considered for publication, please send writing samples and/or a digital portfolio for review by our staff to meniscus[at]meniscuszine[dot]com.  From these materials, we will determine who to invite to test through a series of trial assignments for our magazine, and whether prospective applicants will subsequently be invited to join our team.  Please note that Meniscus is a labor of love for all of us and our goal is to continue to create opportunities for our volunteer journalists to gain experience, build their portfolios…and have a lot of fun in the process!

I would like to use some content or photos featured on Meniscus for my own use (Web sites, print publications, etc.). What is your policy? Content on Meniscus cannot be lifted for use on other media without prior written consent to meniscus[at]meniscuszine[dot]com. For online publications, we require a direct link to the article on our site. Original photography shot by Meniscus staff members is available for purchase, and/or use online or in print. For price quotes and further information, again please write to us with URL(s) containing the specific images that you are interested in buying.

How can I become a partner with Meniscus? Do you do event sponsorships? If you are interested in a sponsorship for your marketing efforts (in-kind partnerships preferred), please send your proposal to meniscus[at]meniscuszine[dot]com. Past media sponsorships include several film festivals, including the inaugural Singafest Asian Film Festival and the San Diego Asian Film Festival, as well as concert tours, product giveaways with companies such as NIVEA and Film Comment, and tasting events.

Where can I find limited-edition print copies of Meniscus?

You can pull up a chair and read back issues at the following ‘zine libraries:

Meniscus was also sold at ‘zine conventions in Seattle, New Brunswick, N.J., Philadelphia and Boston, where its appearance at the Boston Zine Fair in March 2006 marked our last convention. In addition, Meniscus was one of 100 alternative ‘zines featured in the 1996 alt.youth.media exhibit at The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City, and was displayed at the San Jose (Calif.) Museum of Art and the Baltimore (Md.) Museum of Contemporary Art.