Start the new year off with some great live lit! Chicago's favorite eclectic monthly reading series returns to the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf on Tuesday, Jan. 7, with stories and readings by James Gordon, Andrew Huff, Kathryn Kruse, Mare Swallow and Michelle Young! Hosted as always by Andrew and Erin Watson.

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, please like and follow us so you get our announcements in your news stream.

Chicago's favorite eclectic reading series closed out 2024 with a cozy night of great readings! Veronica Arreola started us off strong with an essay about women's sports. Next, Tanner McSwain shared a slightly surreal meditation.

We took an intermission to refill our drinks, after which cohost Andrew Huff read an experimental piece about assembly instructions. Then cohost Erin Watson made a toast, and Sara McHenry had us in stitches over a collection of funny lists and stories. Finally, Nestor Gomez told a pair of heartfelt stories about family and the homes we leave behind.

Tuesday Funk will be back on January 7 with more live lit in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. We hope to see you there! And don't forget to sign up for our new newsletter so you don't miss news and announcements.

Veronica Arreola is a professional feminist, women’s sports evangelist, and writer, her book, J is for Justice: An Activism Alphabet, hopes to inspire young people to identify needs in their communities and work together to dream creative solutions. You can also find her on Bluesky and Instagram at veronica eye.

Please join Veronica and our other fantastic readers on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 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.

Tanner McSwain is a writer and bookseller originally from North Carolina. He has owned Uncharted Books, a used and rare bookstore in Chicago, since 2012.

Please join Tanner and our other great readers on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 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.

Sara McHenry is a tall sad person who was born in Indiana and moved to Illinois, just like Abraham Lincoln. She’s also a writer, who you may know from her zine, Hard to Love, or from her (uncredited) contributions to Clickhole in its heyday. You’ve almost certainly seen or heard of her viral tweet about getting a good grade in therapy. Her interests include weightlifting, cookie baking, and cats. She’s also a crowdfunding and fulfillment professional, so talk to her about that project you want to self-publish but don’t know how!

Please join Sara and our other excellent readers on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 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.

Nestor Gomez was born in Guatemala and traveled to Chicago undocumented in the mid '80s. He told his first story at a Moth Story Slam to get over the stuttering that plagued his childhood; since then he has won more than 80 Moth Slams. Nestor has performed and conducted storytelling workshops in multiple locations around the country. He also created his own storytelling show, “80 Minutes Around the World,” a show that features the stories of immigrants and refugees from different parts of the world, their descendants, and allies. 80 Minutes Around the World is also available as a podcast. Nestor also published a collection of stories detailing his experiences driving for ride-sharing services, titled Your Driver Has Arrived. To listen and subscribe to the podcast, to buy his book and to learn more about Nestor, visit nestorgomezstoryteller.com.

Please join Nestor and our other excellent readers on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 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.

Kathryn Kruse is the director of Residency on the Farm, an interdisciplinary artists’ residency program. In February her collection of short stories, To Receive My Services You Must Be Dying and Alone, is debuting from Jackleg Press. Her work has appeared, among other places, in the pages of Indiana Review, The Manchester Review, and Interim, on the walls of the I Hope You Are Feeling Better Collaborative Art Exhibition, and on the stages of the San Francisco Olympians Festival. After sojourns around the world and the US, she now lives back near the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago where she teaches quite a lot.

Please join Kat and our other fantastic readers on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 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.

Join us for the final Tuesday Funk of 2024! Chicago's favorite eclectic live lit series will be back upstairs at the Hopleaf on Tuesday, Dec. 3 to enjoy readings by Harm Cox, Nestor Gomez, Kathryn Kruse, Sara McHenry and Jo Salazar. UPDATE: Jo Salazar and Harm Cox are unable to join us — Tanner McSwain and Veronica Arreola will read instead.

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, please like and follow us so you get our announcements in your news stream.

Tuesday Funk is taking November off, because the first Tuesday of the month, Nov. 5, is election night! Go vote! And if you need a TV-free environment on that particular night, the Hopleaf will be open its usual hours. :)

Join us on Tuesday December 3 when we'll feature readings by Harm Cox, Nestor Gomez, Kathryn Kruse, Sara McHenry and Jo Salazar. See you in December!

There was a slightly somber and spooky vibe to the October edition of Tuesday Funk, as is appropriate to the season. Sondra Morin led things off with an essay and a couple of poems. Then Faisal Mohyuddin read a range of poetry, including a selection that were published October 2024 issue of Poetry. Next, Steve Bellinger read an excerpt from his new novel, e-Pocalypse-The Digital Dystopia is Coming.

We took a break to refresh our drinks, after which Laaura Goldstein shared some of her poetry. Last but not least, PJ Gray read a short story about an eventful night out trick-or-treating.

We are taking November off, because the first Tuesday of the month is Election Day and we'd much rather you make it to the polls. But we hope you'll join us in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf on Tuesday, December 3, when we'll have readings by Steve Bellinger, Laura Goldstein, PJ Gray, Faisal Mohyuddin, and Sondra Morin. See you there, and in the meantime, VOTE!