Fall Evil Witches classifieds lay within!

A key part of the launch of Evil Witches as an entity was that I wished more of the cool, funny, interesting, talented moms I knew were aware of what each other did, to celebrate each other's work and utilize the network.

This is the semi-annual issue where I invite everyone to showcase their expertise or thing they care deeply about. If you want to advertise what you do to a witchy network or see if anyone has any witch-approved referrals, please do so in the comments! First, peruse the offerings from the paid subscribers who get inbox priority. Consider becoming one if you want the advance warning next time.

Sometimes I try to group these by service or theme but I felt like just listing them as they came in this time because I'm feeling frisky.

The free (registration required) TweensRead Book Festival is about the best way I can think to spend a morning in the Houston, Texas area on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Rex Olge (author of Free Lunch, Pizza Face, among others & keynote speaker) is joined by seventeen YA authors for a day of tween-first panels. Bookseller partner is Blue Willow Bookshop, which is really the most delightful place to procure books.

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Got midterm elections angst? Want to pool donations to be distributed to winnable, state-level races that might be far from your own state, but whose laws just might affect you? State-level races can be decided by hundreds of votes and can cost about 3% of a competitive US Senate race—a real bargain! I’m just over halfway to my goal of $1000 (to be split between efforts in Texas (where I live) and Wisconsin (which could be super exciting if they gain a trifecta of control)). If you want to give strategically this midterm cycle, please consider giving $30, and/or sharing the message with someone else committed to both democracy and a good deal.

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Raise your hand if you've ever spent an hour redoing a direct report's deck at 9 p.m. so it could go in front of leadership. (Hi. Same.) I'm Libby Magliolo, a former management consultant and SMU Cox business school professor, and I founded a corporate training business with one goal: impactful training that doesn't suck. 

Presenting at the Executive Level is my flagship offering, a 2-hour masterclass for up to 15 people, virtual or onsite, built for teams whose smart people keep burying the recommendation on slide 14. 

It's not a PowerPoint software class. It's a masterclass on tailoring a message at the executive level. It also includes a follow-up office hour where your team brings in real slides. If you're the one who books training for your team (or you know who is), I'd love for you to forward this along. Start here.

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I'm on the PTA board at my kid's Title I, "high needs" public school in San Francisco, California, and the last few years, as we've welcomed more and more newcomer families because we're amazing, our ability to raise money to fund two critical staff people (WHY ARE PTAS PAYING FOR STAFF) has lessened, when we need it more than ever. Please watch this film my partner and I made, and, if you're so moved, make a donation in any amount.

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This week I've been channeling some of my overflowing rage into a mixtape called Burn It Down. It's a 35-minute musical love letter to our collective anger, grief, and exhaustion. Maybe you too would like a soundtrack for the primal screaming you're doing in your car??

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Love tennis? Then you'll love Tennisette, the only free weekly newsletter for women who play tennis! Featuring expert strategy and skill tips, tournament and travel guides, plus tightly curated fashion and accessories edits. Sign up here to upgrade your life, both on and off the court.

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I recently published my first short story and I'd like to share it with the witches. It's a body/medical horror called The Hunger about a woman who decides to try a cutting-edge weight loss procedure to save her failing marriage. But like any other medical intervention, it's always the side effects that get you. 

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Expert online and in-person psychotherapy in San Francisco, California. Experienced, astute and kind, pro-feminist sensibility. I help people in all seasons of their lives. Let's meet and see if we are a fit.

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Mom Brain is a monthly reading and conversation series with writers, for parents,  in Evanston, Illinois, hosted by Evil Witches Caroline Calvert, Erica Stern, and Claire Seizovic. Like story time, but with books for grown-ups. Come to find your community and to reflect on aspects of parenting and caregiving. We've spotlighted work that touches on birth trauma (Lucy Knisley), postpartum (Megan Stielstra and Shayne Terry), adoption (Francesca Royster), building community (Sophie Lucido Johnson), the foster care system (Rachel Leon), and parenting through climate change (Kaitlyn Teer). Babies and kids welcome, but not required. 

Open to parents, caregivers, grandparents, chosen family, the parent curious, etc. If you're a writer or poet interested in reading at Mom Brain, email mombrain.salon@gmail.com. 

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Parent Lit is where parenthood wanders the book stacks. The Parent Lit newsletter is written for parents who read (or try to) and want to talk about what it all means. It’s a messier and less algorithmic approach to the parent reading life, exploring the meaning we make from what we read, how we read, and how it connects us with others. Parent Lit is short for parent literature and it’s certainly a canon in development. But for starters, it’s: 

• the picture book you’ve read so many times you can recite it with your eyes closed (and sometimes you do)
• that stack of books you’ve been meaning to get to so you learn how “to do this parent thing,” but you are just too busy parenting to get to them
• the romance you read to take a break
• that middle grade read that reminded you we are all still just trying to figure it out
• the cookbook that brought you a meal that was nourishing and satisfying while your kid ate Goldfish crackers
• the book that you ignore your kids to finish
• that book that cracked open your grief hiding just under the surface
• the book that taught you more about reptiles than you ever wanted to know

It’s all parent lit and more. Parent Lit is written by Kathryn Barbash. Mother, psychologist, reader, and your future book-ish friend. 

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I am a Leadership and Career Coach who works with folks trying to figure out what’s next (career change, new role, life changes that impact professional identity and choices, etc). I love working with fellow witches! You can learn about me and book here. I'll comp your first session (just mention Evil Witches when you book with this link).

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I'm a humor writer who has written a humorous advice book for introverted parents, and I write the newsletter Humor Me, where I share writing tips and funny stuff like recs for books, TV shows, and kid-related content which you (probably) need in your life.

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I'm Hanna. I live mostly on Instagram under the handle @Hannas.side.quest. After the 2025 fires in Pasadena, my only goal was to promote local businesses who are struggling to pay the bills. That kinda snowballed into anything in the Los Angeles area. If you have an interesting story, job, gripe, fundraiser. I'm your gal. I travel and love getting your story up. I just won a Spirit of the city award so expect some enthusiasm because staying on brand and all. 

Oh, I also still organize, so if your space needs a makeover, let's talk. 

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I'm a pelvic floor therapist and pain coach specializing in "tough to treat" cases and the writer of Adventures in Vaginas (and other parts). I created Tidal Work, an anti-diet therapeutic movement platform for all things pelvic health. Basically, this is the place to get movement-based support for painful sex, incontinence, prolapse symptoms, endo pain – you get it. It's a whole body lens (nary a kegel in sight) and we center your body autonomy, not a six pack. 

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Know you should be strength training but not sure where to start? Just want to be active without making a huge deal out of it? I'm an anti-diet certified personal trainer, health journalist, and the author of the newsletter How to Move, which is full of friendly, accessible, body-neutral (aka no annoying body talk!) workout videos and guidance. Subscribe at this link for 15% off your first year.

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If you like a newsletter that stays outside the discourse, then you might enjoy KAFKA'S BABY, which secretly always has an underlying point, even if the point is just that, existentially, time and space never stopppp in parenthood

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I’m an anti-diet, weight inclusive personal stylist and I write the newsletter unflattering. I love working with witches who are sick of trying to follow stupid patriarchal fashion rules and just want to dress like their own version of themselves, not society’s or their mom’s. We can work together one-on-one to define your style, edit your closet, learn to shop mindfully, and I’ll be your personal shopper. Check out my website, mindfulcloset.com, for more info. 

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Looking for a therapy provider who does more than nod and say “tell me more?” As a graduate mental health counseling intern under supervision with the Feeling Good Institute, I practice warm, evidence-based, solution-oriented therapy in New York state. And as the world’s oldest intern (52), I bring decades of life experience to the profession, plus intensive training in CBT and ERP. Also, pre-licensed = I’m cheaper and more available! Book a free 15-minute consultation here to see if we’re a fit. 

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I'm a middle-aged woman who just left a corporate career, is probably having a mid-life crisis, and is sharing it openly to connect with other women who feel like they're probably going through the same thing. I started a Substack, which I call my "middle aged livejournal", to write about being a mother during end-stage capitalism, my moderately successful attempt at starting a vegetable garden, and any other topic that piques my interest (Heated Rivalry, choosing the bear, what success means, postpartum depression, etc.). Link here.

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Last call for Shakespeare for Babies: I’m closing down sales of my two award-winning board books adapting rhyming, continuous sections of Shakespeare into books for babies. That means a big sale—one book for $6, both titles for $10, or if you want to keep a few on hand for baby shower presents, 6 for $25. Listed as Best of the Year Indie titles by Kirkus, they have absolutely glorious illustrations by Mehrdokt Amini and authentic Elizabethan animal noises. Get them while they last!

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Holly's House of Stickers - 100% free newsletter about stickers. Mostly pictures.

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Kristen Cox a.k.a. The Future Mrs. Darcy a.k.a. Hudson Collaborative is a Boston-based graphic designer. As Hudson Collaborative she works on business-y print graphic design from tiny embroidered logos to 50 foot conference booths and a whole bunch of white papers/brochures in between. As The Future Mrs. Darcy she lets her freak flag fly and makes tshirts based on song lyrics and obscure TV shows or a whole bunch of random shit that comes to her. And also upcycled quilt sweatshirts because ADHD WHY NOT?! Perfect gifts for the feral people in your life. 

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For music lovers with kids: I'm the Punk Scientist, the audio witch offering relief from mind-numbing kid music. As a British-American mother, music curator, and podcast producer (Louis Vuitton, Nike, Fred again.., SZA), I conjure all-ages playlists for fellow witches who'd rather gargle glass than hear that Pokémon theme one. more. time. This isn't kid music. It's pirate radio for parents raging against the kid music machine - aka the survival soundtrack for a modern, magical, messy life with kids. My free zine delivers playlists to make life with tiny chaos agents less evil. Subscribe at thepunkscientist.com  for songs, stories and science that might just change your life, or at least breakfast. Your kids will never thank you, but your soul and sanity will.

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Second Banana on Substack: Curated secondhand finds and opinions about books, film, TV, art, and more. Imagine going window shopping and gossiping with a friend, but it's me, I'm the friend, and we have a standing appointment in your inbox on Sundays. 😄

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Are you struggling to set aside time for writing? Sitting down just to stare at a screen? Subscribe to Magic Words for spoken, soul-boosting writing prompts, gently led by Alison Bowen of Woo Woo Writing. Think of each recording as a minute-long voice memo from a writer friend, delivered every Tuesday.

Dark Messiah, by Sara Z. Carson

In 2008 I published a young adult novel called An Off Year and my publisher assigned me a publicist, Sara Z. Carson. I could tell I was extremely lucky at my entry-level publishing life to land a publicist as enthusiastic and fun to talk to as Sara. She became a core member of my coven when we both brought home babies (now sixth-graders) in 2015 and went through having pandemic preschoolers together.

Sara just published her first novel, Dark Messiah, about a teenage girl and her mother caught in the web of a cult leader whose optimistic vision of hope descends into apocalyptic horror in the jungles of South America.

Dark Messiah is out as an eBook now, with the print edition arriving October 20. I wanted to do a quick and dirty Q&A with Sara to turn the publicist tables.

After years of helping other authors through it, what pushed you to write your own book?

The pandemic actually forced me into action, because it was an era where my daughter was like, "You have to stay in bed with me until I fall asleep." And you couldn't move for a very long time. Until she was asleep, she was on high alert. I'd be scrolling Reddit while I waited, and I had this thought come to me: "If you don't do this, you're going to be 80 and you're still not going to have done this and you're still going to be saying, 'Well, I didn't have the right time.'" It just hit me like a bolt of lightning where all of a sudden I was like, "I have to do this or I'm never going to do it."

Did you do the ol' get up at 5 AM and write 2,000 words a day?

I first have to say that it was the witch network that made me feel like I could do this. Honestly, it was seeing other women in our group doing stuff.

My goal was a thousand words a day. That never happened. I remain on a hybrid schedule, where if I have to physically be in the office that day, I can't shake that off enough to focus.  Instead, I would write Thursday nights, Friday nights, for a chunk of time on Saturday, and a chunk of time on Sunday, always in off hours. I had to entirely change my brainwave.

Did you picture the NPR-and-New-York-Times publication dream?

Someone asked me the other day, they're like, "Are you doing a tour?" And I was like, "That's adorable.'" As a publicist, I hope I'm a good person to deal with because I know how hard it is. I'm terrible at it. I was like, "I know I need to be out there doing social media and things like that, but there's a really good reason why you should never be your own client."

Cults are sort of a hot thing right now: What about Jonestown intrigued you?

This is a kind of malevolence to prey on people who are on Social Security and on government assistance, and to manipulate the social safety net in such a way that you can bring more people into your organization and take their money from them and have their checks directed right to you. Taking children out of foster care in order to collect their money and their government benefits and make them a ward of the church. I think about it a lot. 

What surprised you in your research?

Just how thin the membrane was between regular society and this organization. We like to think about these things as being very separate from us. One of the reasons that Jim Jones was so successful and was able to do what he did for so long was the fact that he had leverage with city government because the Temple was a reliable voting block in a city where 7,000 people showing up to vote for something made a difference. So they had relationships with all of these representatives in the city government. I think it makes us really uncomfortable to see how close these things are.

What's your elevator pitch to people? If you love <blank> you'll love Dark Messiah?

I've been loglining it as Are you there, God? It's Me, Margaret meets Heart of Darkness. But I think definitely The Girls and anyone who really likes true crime, so your Helter Skelter and Road to Jonestown fans... would enjoy it. Also The Secret History, but only because it's also about a group of people who are very insular: I don't want to compare myself to Donna Tartt.

How's your 6th grader's year going?

She really likes middle school. When I was her age, all I wanted to do was assimilate, and she is just not interested in that. She wants to wear her tail and have her spirit animal that she's embraced and love her K-pop and change her hair color and all of that. And I'm kind of like, "Okay, you are being you, and I don't know where that's going to go, but I do love that you're comfortable with it." And the skincare is amazing. I'm always getting lectures about my own skincare routine from her.

I just want to note that during our interview I got a text from our neighbor that our puppy escaped from the backyard and the transcriptionist caught me speaking to the dog after that event. I think this is an accurate representation of what having a puppy is like:

End credits

Thanks for reading Evil Witches, a newsletter for people who happen to be mothers. I want to promote Not Right Now, the podcast I co-host with Quinn Emmett, about parenting These Days. If you are a paid Evil Witches subscriber, you can get our bonus material (let me know if you are a paid subscriber and not accessing it). We have a new episode out today with Giving Circle witch Melissa Walker!

If you want to subscribe (or renew) to Evil Witches and would like a little deal here's one in honor of our naughty dog to get the annual membership at $45 compared to $60.

One witchy thing