Chicago's favorite monthly reading series returns to the Hopleaf on April 1 — no foolin'! Join us for readings by Lily Be, Marc Fischer, Rachel Mennies, Kim Moldofsky, and Meredith Nnoka, as well as haiku by Andrew and a toast by Erin.

Admission to Tuesday Funk is always free, but you must be 21 to attend. Doors open at 7pm sharp (tables tend to fill up fast, so don't be late!) and the show will start at 7:30pm. Please RSVP on Facebook, and while you're there, like and follow us so you get our announcements in your news stream. You can also follow us on Bluesky, YouTube and Instagram — and subscribe to our very low-volume (like, once a month) email newsletter, too!

March came in like a lion with some fantastic live lit at Tuesday Funk! First, Kat Jercich told a story about a determined search for a special duck. Next, Andrew Cothren read a collection of flash fiction pieces. Then Keidra Chaney read an essay about the challenges and misconceptions about Black rock fans.

We took a break, and cohost Andrew Huff recited a couple of topical haiku. Lindsay Porter shared a very personal essay. Cohost Erin Watson led a quick toast, and Mary Winn Heider read an excerpt from an upcoming murder mystery novel about a crossing guard.

Tuesday Funk will be back on April 1 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf with readings by Lily Be, Marc Fischer, Rachel Mennies, Kim Moldofsky and Meredith Nnoka. We hope to see you there! Watch for our Facebook event, and don't forget to sign up for our new newsletter so you don't miss news and announcements.

Lindsay Porter is a standup comedian, storyteller, and teaching artist in Chicago. She’s performed at Zanies and the Laugh Factory, and at bars, parks, cannabis lounges, nursing homes, and in line at Trader Joes. She tours nationally with the Bad Momz of Comedy and Moms Unhinged. She is the Program Director of True Tales, which provides storytelling and creative writing workshops for youth with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Please join Lindsay and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Mary Winn Heider’s novels for children include The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy (Little, Brown, 2021), The Stupendous Switcheroo series (Knopf, 2023-24), and The Mortification of Fovea Munson (Disney-Hyperion, 2018). The latter was long-listed for the Edgar Award; Mary Winn also wrote the book of the Fovea musical for the Kennedy Center production in 2023. Her graphic novel Bugged will be published by Knopf later this year.

Please join Mary Winn and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Andrew Cothren grew up in New York's Hudson Valley, though he has spent the last three and a half years living in Chicago, where he works as an editorial assistant for the city government. He holds an MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his work has been published in Redivider, Bright Wall/Dark Room, Yalobusha Review, fields, and The Atlas Review. He loves Chicago dearly, but is still deeply skeptical of the no-ketchup-on-hot-dogs thing.

Please join Andrew and our other fantastic readers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Kat Jercich is a writer and editor living in Chicago. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Advocate, Bust, Cosmopolitan, and the Sacramento News and Review, along with several other gone-but-not-forgotten outlets. She attended the Cuttyhunk Island Writers' Workshop.

Please join Kat and our other wonderful readers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Keidra Chaney works at a national disability justice nonprofit by day. After work hours, she plays bass, fusses over plants, makes zines about music and fandom, and watches movies from the 1970s and '80s on Tubi. She’s @kdc and @WildRampPublishing on BlueSky or @keidrachaney on Instagram.

Please join Keidra and our other fantastic readers on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

March 4th? That's right, march forth and join us in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf for the latest edition of Chicago's favorite eclectic reading series! We'll feature readings by Keidra Chaney, Andrew Cothren, Mary Winn Heider, Kat Jercich and Lindsay Porter, plus haiku by Andrew and a toast by Erin, your cohosts!

Admission to Tuesday Funk is always free, but you must be 21 to attend. Doors open at 7pm sharp (tables tend to fill up fast, so don't be late!) and the show will start at 7:30pm. Please RSVP on Facebook, and while you're here, like and follow us so you get our announcements in your news stream.

It might be winter in Chicago, but Tuesday Funk's audience gave everyone a super warm welcome! Chicago's favorite eclectic reading series played to a packed house February 4. Mare Swallow started us off strong with a story about doing cosplay for the first time at C2E2. Next, Scott Whitehair shared a story about attending his first poetry reading in Pittsburgh and finding inspiration in a down-to-earth poet. Then Eric Shoemaker read several powerful poems.

We took a break to refresh our drinks, after which host Andrew Huff read a thematic set of haiku, and Amy Eaton reminisced about the legendary bar that became her second home. Last but not least, Bill Savage shared the history of several street Chicago names new and old, and how they tell a tale of discrimination.

Tuesday Funk will be back on March 4 with more great live lit in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. We hope to see you there! Watch for our Facebook event, and don't forget to sign up for our new newsletter so you don't miss news and announcements.

Robert Eric Shoemaker is a poet, translator, and interdisciplinary artist. Eric is the author of Magical Poetics (Bloomsbury Academic, forthcoming), Ca'Venezia (2021, Partial Press), We Knew No Mortality (2018, Acta Publications), and 30 Days Dry (2015, Thought Collection Publishing). Eric’s work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best New Translation. His work has been published in Rain Taxi, Zone 3, Spoon River Poetry Review, and other venues. He writes queer poems about magic spells and sometimes ghosts, and his cat is named after Federico García Lorca. Follow him at reshoemaker.com.

Please join Eric and our other incredible readers on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.