Buy, see and trust witches

The best kind of classifieds

A friend and I were just commiserating over the stupid things we’ve been buying lately to stave off nervousness about X and depression about Y. Like, why did I just order a custom hair system when I’m still working off the blah shampoo I regrettably bought in bulk from Costco?

If you’re the same you might as well spend some of that money on things other witches make, run, sell, promote, etc. Or send them some work or shout their thing out on Twitter, whatever is feasible for you if you see something that speaks to you or someone you know could utilize. If you want to include your own thing to promote, go for it in the comments!

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I read Tarot cards! My practice is deeply influenced by queer Tarot, feminist Tarot, and Evil Witch vibes.

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Do you like revisiting old shit because you’re an aging witch wondering what went wrong with your ideas on adulthood? Then listen to Wokefield, where two middle aged comedians rediscover formative media that screwed up their ideas about being a person in the real world.”

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My novel The Talented Miss Farwell is loosely based on a true story, and features a woman who embezzles millions of dollars from her podunk town to live a double life full of blue-chip art dealing, couture fashion, and truly giving no fucks beyond getting what she wants. Came out during a lockdown phase of the pandemic, which made a book tour kaput. Would love to get into witchy hands if you’re looking for a novel this summer.

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I run all the social media for Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL. I’ve got nothing to sell, but I've been working hard on our TikTok channel to break the stigma around community college. Any witches on that app who wouldn't mind following, watching, and liking some TikTok content to help a fellow witch prove her value to her bosses (kidding, but kinda?) please find us @elgincommunitycollege.

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I write a newsletter, Kafka’s Baby, and the general idea is parenting as existential crisis - mostly essays, sometimes some philosophy, hopefully a bit funny.

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Got a picky eater? Or a family member with eating challenges due to stroke or chemotherapy treatment? Check out theEATBar. Founded by my incredible speech pathologist mom friend, it’s a delicious treat bar specially designed for kids and adults who struggle with swallowing difficulties and/or meeting daily caloric needs. She saw the frustration of families desperate to get loved ones to eat and created an alternative to all the bland purees and gritty liquid supplements. TheEatBar is a crunchy meringue that melts in your mouth and delivers easy calories. It comes in four flavors - lemon, dark chocolate, vanilla chocolate, and strawberry - and has been a game-changer for families where eating is a struggle. Also, just generally awesome for a quick, portable snack for kiddos. My kids and I have taste-tasted TONS of these and they are seriously delish. Nut-free, gluten-free, and run by a mom who truly cares about empowering people to rediscover the pleasure in eating.

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I write a weekly gymnastics newsletter for TheIX, a newsletter about women's sports (and if you're a soccer, hockey, basketball, golf, or tennis fan, there's a day for you too!). You can subscribe here and my columns run every Saturday. I try to integrate as much current events/political news into it as I can, with the support of my editor, and it's generally a great resource for sports news!

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Hi, anxious witches! - find my podcast Poised & Powerful Parenting on all your podcast apps. Has been lovingly described by listeners as "soothing," "going deeper than most parenting type shows that just want to tell you one way to do things" and "pretty BS free!" Recent eps include: pandemic parenting with chronic illness, mental health, and losing your sh!t with your kids. 

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Seattle witches! Looking for a gym? My husband and I own Green Lake Strength & Conditioning, where we celebrate all bodies and all abilities with supportive, encouraging coached classes (no bros allowed). Nothing is better than escaping from your family for an hour to lift heavy stuff.

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I run a videography studio called Atomic Clock, serving mostly New York and New England. We specialize in documentary-style content with heart. I really like filming stuff like concerts too, and helping families document their elders' stories. We're kind, easygoing, and not outrageously expensive, especially for fellow witches.

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Every Body Eat is a line of allergen-friendly and gluten-free snacks that are perfect for the summer season. All products are plant-based and contain zero traces of the 14 ingredients that are associated with 90% of food allergies and intolerances, as well as corn and added sugar. 

Available nationwide at Whole Foods, Wegmans and Amazon, there are several varieties to choose from, including:

• Snack Thins, including cheese-less, sea salt chia, fiery chile lime and chive & garlic.

• Crispbreads, including sea salt, tart cherry, and white pepper & garlic.

• Variety packs and other items coming soon!

Every Body Eat is a women and minority-owned business that is committed to supporting and employing a diverse workforce. Every Body Eat works to create access to career opportunities by employing team members from Chicago’s most distressed neighborhoods in the South and West sides of the city, some previously incarcerated, to help them get back on their feet and break these systemic cycles.

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My humorous advice book for introverted parents, Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?), makes a good gift for yourself or the new parent in your life. It's a mix of satirical pieces and humorous advice (in conveniently short chapters!) The focus is on the years from pregnancy through preschool and includes topics like getting quiet time and alone time vacations in your own home.

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I’ve got two things:

An Etsy store: Stickers for the email geek in your life. I know it's a bit niche, but us email geeks have to stick together.

And a newsletter that I'm just starting called "I have no idea what I'm doing." It's a newsletter about starting new things. I'm planning on sticking to 3 topics - email, baking, and crafting. Though some new homeowner and parenting things might sneak in at some point.

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Prefer to buy books from an explicitly feminist, queer-woman-owned indie bookstore in Maine? Want to support that woman as she reaches the 365 day mark of a sudden transition into single parenthood and sole-breadwinner status? Good news: you can here or on our Bookshop page 👯‍♂️

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I've got a somewhat sporadic newsletter. It's mostly short essays about parenting, writing/creativity, and the weird Venn diagram overlap zone between them.

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I’d really love to promote a great organization that I’ve been volunteering with for the past year. Distro Disco is an all volunteer anti-capital mobile free store offering material support to the unhoused community of Vancouver, BC. 

Born two years ago as a response to several intersecting crises including housing, overdose and climate. DistroDisco operates out of a retired transit bus and sets up at regular around the city including current tent cities.

At our monthly donation drives we receive mainly supplies that fall within the categories of small essentials, toiletries, gift cards and overnight camping gear such as tarps, tents, sleeping mats etc. We also carry PPE, harm reduction supplies, and take special requests and actively ask for feedback on what else is needed from our customers. 

All of our inventory is either purchased with donated funds, or in-kind donations from our local community. We also have a growing list of local businesses we partner with, and are developing additional relationships for regular in-kind donations.

Our main platform for information is Instagram and we receive ongoing monetary donations via e-transfer at distrodisco1312@gmail.com

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Want to raise a reader? Can we read? is your weekly guide to children's books that supports and inspires you to create a culture of reading in your home. Let me save you the time, energy, and emotional labor of finding excellent books so you have more bandwidth for what really matters: reading together.

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I was talking to some fellow witch-ish moms out in the wild and we accidentally started a small Weekly Women's strike movement! Every Monday we (try to) not buy anything, neglect our other responsibilities, and yell at the government (and other people in our life who deserve a good yell). I think neglecting responsibilities and yelling are both very witchy. If you like you can join us—we have a private Reddit for now but also feel free to just participate--when you yell be sure to mention you're on strike.

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I've got a weekly newsletter - nearly 300 issues (!!!) at this point, every Thursday before noon in your inbox you'll receive a curated newsletter chock full with recommendations of stuff to read, watch, listen to, places to go, things to see, and internet happenings, all framed by a personal essay. Subscribe or read some previous issues aka some greatest hits.

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Nothing to promote, but last time you did this, I subscribed to Alex Steele’s Handpicked newsletter and it is an absolute joy.

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For all those witches whole littles are still wearing masks to school (and elsewhere, preschooler and kids face masks, especially designed for the smallest faces, sewn by a local Chicagoland mama. All masks are ready to ship today and are on sale. Cute patterns, including ninjas, space rockets, unicorns, rainbows, kitties, trucks, zoo animals, and much more.

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Freelance writers! Do you want to see examples of actual pitches that sold to actual reporters at a variety of publications? I sell a little self-published packet: $13 for 13 real-world examples of how to sell a story to a magazine or newspaper.

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I have two new books, Pocket Universe and The Long Devotion: Poets Writing Motherhood. Both of my new books examine the relationship between motherhood and making art. Poet Erika Meitner called Pocket Universe “a wildly powerful and searingly honest meditation on the ways in which anxiety and wonder intersect at the nexus of motherhood.” The Long Devotion is a collection of poems, essays, and writing prompts that celebrate the joy and wonder of motherhood and creates a space for mothers to, as poet Molly Spencer has written, “tell an unlovely truth about family life and not have to take it back.”

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You know we need revolution now more than ever, but did you know that friendships can spark that change? Whether you’ve been feeling stuck in friendship dilemmas, dealing with social anxiety, or looking to make new friends who share your witchy ways, we’ll show you how to improve your friendships with confidence! Check out The Matchstick Collective’s *free* Revolutionary Friendship: Sparking Change webinar, workbook, and guided meditations. Because smashing the patriarchy is more fun with friends.

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 I've written a mostly serious book about this and other things called Someone Other Than a Mother. It challenges the social scripts that put moms on an impossible pedestal and shame childless women and nontraditional families for not measuring up and rewrites the story of a life well-lived, one in which purpose is bigger than body parts, identity is fuller than offspring, and legacy is so much more than DNA.

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If you live in Chicago, I am co-hosting Funny Ha-Ha, a humorous storytelling series, on July 8, featuring some amazing witches in the lineup. Consider getting a ticket and absolutely come say hi after the show. It’s a fun time for tired people who want to get out but still get home in time for dinner.

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For Iowa witches (and those who might be near enough), I curated a quilt show for the Iowa Quilt Museum that closes June 26th. It is called “Midwest Modern” and features 26 quilts that are more like functional modern and contemporary art than like pioneer and depression era recreations. It is in Winterset, Iowa. Even more quilts will be in Winterset on Saturday, June 4th for their annual fundraiser “Airing of the Quilts” a mostly outdoor quilt show all over town:

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End credits

Thanks for reading Evil Witches, a newsletter for people who happen to be mothers. Feel free forward this issue to someone who might find this intriguing. If you haven’t yet, I hope you consider becoming a paid subscriber which gets you bonus content, threads, and sneak previews of upcoming topics, calls for witchy input and advance warning before another one of these promotion issues comes out.

Many years of searchable archives live here. If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for the newsletter you can reply to this email or talk to other witches on Twitter.

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One witchy thing