Wednesday I tested positive for Covid. Thursday I got 150 copies of the first issue of Croning in the mail. Thursday was a much better day than Wednesday. I mentioned the Covid because I am not exactly moving at breakneck speed right now, but:

If you preordered Croning, your copy will be on its way to you tomorrow!

In a recent Q&A with Oldster, Elizabeth Gilbert said that one of her favorite things about aging is that she’s good at what she does now, she knows that she’s good, and she’s not afraid to say it. I love, so I’m going to take a moment to say how proud I feel stuffing envelopes with a real, live zine—a project that, just a few months ago, was little more than a vague idea. I’m proud of the consortium of middle-aged weirdos who contributed pictures and words. I’m proud of us for hitting the deadline I set for us. And I’m proud of myself, honestly, for acting more as an assembler than an editor for the most part. I can be a bit… particular is the word my husband used recently, so I’ll go with that. But, for this project, I asked my friends to do whatever they felt like doing, and it turns out that what they felt like doing was awesome. Here’s a table of contents for you:

An essay about Baba Yaga and a cocktail recipe by yours truly
An illustration by Sarah Hand, and her articulated doll for you to color, cut out, assemble, and whisper secrets to
A poem by Taisia Kataiskai
Some thoughts on menopause by Kate Felmet
Shawna Gore’s interview with artist Holly Cappello (aka Holigoil)
Some arts-and-crafts sorcery by Catherine Clements

But wait! There’s more!

We also have a limited-edition trading card by Anne Heideman and a magic charm 3-D printed by Catherine. If you preordered or are a Founding Hag, both are already in your envelope. For everybody else, the trading card and the charm are still available until they aren’t. Act now!

The digital edition of Croning is now for sale as well. What it lacks in swag in makes up for in instant gratification and a small price difference.

Before we bid farewell—for now—to the trickster queen of the wild birchwoods—here’s a gallery of images I just put together yesterday. And don’t forget that there’s a Baba Yaga playlist. Listen while you read the zine!

What’s next for Croning? There’s one surefire way to find out!