The air is distinctly chillier, and everything is pumpkin spice-flavored. We hate to break it to you, but decorative gourd season is upon us, and the only cure is Chicago's favorite eclectic live lit series, Tuesday Funk! Join us for readings by Kevin Coval, Karen Clanton, Leland Cheuk, Marco Rafala and Kat Jercich.

Come join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf in Andersonville! As always, admission to Tuesday Funk is free, but you must be 21 to attend. Doors open at 7pm sharp (tables tend to fill up fast, so don't dawdle!) and the show will start at 7:30pm. Please RSVP on Facebook -- and while you're there, maybe like and follow us so you get our announcements right in your stream.

We had a full house in Hopleaf's upstairs lounge for the 132nd edition of Tuesday Funk -- not surprisingly, because we were showcasing The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook, a new anthology from the wonderful Belt Publishing. The standing-room-only was enthusiastic, and your favorite eclectic monthly reading series enjoyed sharing the love.

We got started, appropriately enough, with a story about Andersonville from Sarah Steimer. Next, F. Amanda Tugade told a quick story about trying to hide her unemployment from the manager of the Filipino corner store in her neighborhood. Then Scott Smith shared an essay about how Beverly became integrated.

Everyone refilled their drinks and bought copies of the Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook during intermission, then Ann C. Logue read an essay about how UIC and University Village are a microcosm of Chicago. Closing out the night, Gint Aras, who was also celebrating the release of his new memoir, Relief by Execution, shared an excerpt that touched on immigration, poverty and racism and his own dawning perspective as a young teen.

You missed a great show, but don't worry, we'll have video up on our YouTube channel soon. And you can come to the next show on Tuesday, Nov. 5, when we'll feature readings by Kevin Coval, Karen Clanton, Leland Cheuk, Marco Rafala and Kat Jercich. Hope to see you there!

Come join us for a very special Tuesday Funk, where we'll be showcasing Belt Publishing's anthology The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook! Featuring such local luminaries as Annie Logue, Scott Smith, F. Amanda Tugade, Gint Aras, and Sarah Steimer!

Our readings take place at Hopleaf Bar, 5148 N. Clark St. in Chicago. We get started promptly at 7:30 pm in the upstairs lounge. Arrive early if you want a seat -- but no earlier than 7:00 pm. Our readings are free, but only those 21 and over will be admitted. And check it out -- You can now order food from our bartender! See you there!

Gint Aras has been trapped on planet Earth since 1973. He's the author of the novels The Fugue and Finding the Moon in Sugar, and the forthcoming memoir, Relief by Execution: A Visit to Mauthausen. He lives in Oak Park and teaches at a local community college.

Please join Gint and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 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.

Annie Logue has written Hedge Funds for Dummies, taught finance at UIC and the University of Guadalajara, and now works for a tech start-up. She grew up in Ohio and lives in Chicago.

Please join Annie and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 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.

Sarah Steimer is a journalist, essayist, podcast producer and yoga teacher, currently serving as editor of Marketing News magazine. Sarah originally hails from Pittsburgh and has lived in Chicago for eight years. Her writing has covered municipal politics, airlines, college mascots, cheese championships, web accessibility and more. Sarah is available for editorial consultation at Simon's Tavern.

Please join Sarah and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 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.

F. Amanda Tugade is a writer, community journalist and the daughter of Filipino immigrants. Her work centers on self-love and often weaves past histories into pathways for belonging.

Please join F. Amanda and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 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.

Scott Smith is a media strategist and Chicago fundamentalist. A child of the city's southeast suburbs, he's lived in Chicago proper since 1998. He lives on the South Side in Morgan Park with his wife and daughter where he hosts and produces the live lit show The Frunchroom, featuring stories of, by, and about the South Side. Follow his further musings on Twitter at @ourmaninchicago.

Please join Scott and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 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.

The October edition of Tuesday Funk is going to be special -- not only will reader Gint Aras have a brand new book out, but we'll be showcasing writers from Belt Publishing's The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook, including Ann C. Logue, Scott Smith, F. Amanda Tugade, Sarah Steimer and Gint Aras himself.

Come join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf in Andersonville! As always, admission to Tuesday Funk is free, but you must be 21 to attend. Doors open at 7pm sharp (tables tend to fill up fast, so don't dawdle!) and the show will start at 7:30pm. Please RSVP on Facebook -- and while you're there, maybe like and follow us so you get our announcements right in your stream.

The day after Labor Day can be kind of subdued -- the summer is "over," school's back in session, and summer work hours are gone. But the crowd at your favorite eclectic monthly reading series was large and engaged.

The show started off with cohost Andrew Huff reading an excerpt of his novel in progress. Next, Tiffany Gholar shared pieces from her book, The Sum of its Parts: Artwork, 2014-2018. Then Tony Breed told a funny story about his first trip to Europe as a college student.

We took a break to refill our drinks, then Edward Moses read three short pieces about his life. And Kate Harding closed out the show with a thrilling tale of a neighborhood mayoral race -- for pets.

We'll admit it, it was all pretty great. You should see for yourself by coming to the next show! We'll be back at Hopleaf on Tuesday, Oct. 1, where we'll feature readings by Ann C. Logue, Scott Smith, F. Amanda Tugade, Sarah Steimer and Gint Aras. Hope to see you then!