Greetings from standby jury duty. Yes, your humble co-host is doing his civic duty in Rolling Meadows, but it seems unlikely he'll be empaneled owing to that felony conviction way back when that we've sort of hinted around about before. But I digress...

The reviews are in! This week's Tuesday Funk has been called "the best Funk yet," by at least one recurring audience member. Were you there? What did you think? Don't remember much of the evening? Let me refresh your memory.

Returning Funker Cesar Torres started us off with a transcription of a Dia de los Muertos vlog post from Lady Death herself, and more dark, seasonal fiction. Matt Wood brought us a timely public service announcement, in setting forth the proper method for ordering a corned beef sandwich from the men with mustaches at Manny's Deli. And to finish out the first half, Funk veteran Suzanne Clores tantalized us with a section of her memoir about young women abroad in France without much money and without a plan.

After a break for beer and a poem about dogs (or was it?), Laura Stark favored us with a funny and painful memoir about breaking up during the Thanksgiving season. And to bring a widely varied show to a moody close, Funk mainstay J.D. Adamski brought us a dark and stylish tale from the brink of Chicago noir.

But don't worry if you weren't there. We'll be posting video of everyone's performances over the coming days and weeks, so watch this space. And of course Tuesday Funk will be breaking on through again on December 6th with great work from Jody Lynn Nye, Patricia Ann McNair, Hanna Martine, Emile Ferris, and John Klima, and yet another Poem By Bill.  It's our holiday present from us to you, so mark your calendar now!

Our stellar lineup tonight includes J.D. Adamski, Suzanne Clores, Laura Stark, Cesar Torres, and Matt Wood, and we'll throw in one of our patented Poems By Bill for no extra charge. So "like" us today on Facebook, arrive early, grab a beer from the bar, and get set for a terrific and challenging evening of entertainment. And don't forget to "drive safeley"!

Hopleaf is at 5148 N. Clark St. in Chicago. The reading begins at 7:30 pm in the upstairs lounge. The lounge opens at 7:00 pm. Arrive early for a seat!

As always, the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf is cash-only and 21 and over. Remember also that no food can be brought in from the restaurant.

Cesar Torres is the author of The 12 Burning Wheels, a collection of stories of weird fiction, published in 2010. His work has appeared in The Willows and in M-Brane SF magazine. He's particularly interested in the secret lives of machines and will hardly turn down an insect as a snack.

He's currently at work on a new novel; updates can be found at his web site http://cesartorres.net.

Join Tuesday Funk on November 1^st at 7:30 p.m. to hear Cesar along with the rest of talented readers at Hopleaf's upstairs bar!

JD Adamski has had a lot of jobs in his life. From packing trucks 3^rd shift in the UPS yards with the ex-cons and tweakers to slinging stouts and rye to hawking vitamins and other panaceas at the medicine show, he's tried his hand at many things. Along the way, he got a degree in Religious Studies and a minor in English at DePaul University.

Currently, he fancies himself a writer and helps curate the infinitely nerd-centric website This May Get Awkward.

Join Tuesday Funk on November 1^st at 7:30 p.m. to hear JD along with the rest of talented readers at Hopleaf's upstairs bar!

Matt Wood is a reader, writer, baseball fan, and father of two living in the West Loop. His current day job is playing on Twitter and Facebook all day for a local university, but in a past life he took a four-year break to be a stay-at-home dad, where he learned the value of patience, quiet time, and a good stain remover.

You can read more of his writing on his website, Wood-Tang.com.

 Join Tuesday Funk on November 1^st at 7:30 p.m. to hear Matt along with the rest of talented readers at Hopleaf's upstairs bar!

Back in August, Julie Rosenthal gave our rabidly attentive audience not one but two provocative short stories to chew on...

And if you're panting for more great readings like this one, be sure to join us on Tuesday, November 1st, when we present the stellar lineup of J.D. Adamski, Suzanne Clores, Laura Stark, Cesar Torres, and Matt Wood!

Laura Stark is a sometimes writer and performer and an all-the-time music and travel geek. Her twisty path has taken her from video production assistant to financial consultant to improviser to occupational therapist. Most recently, she completed a Master's in health science and is now adjusting to being a normal person again and rediscovering the creative side that was beaten out by school.

In 2002, she produced "Holiday Hangover," a monologue show inspired by her own Thanksgiving breakup, of which you'll get a taste at this Tuesday Funk.

 Join Tuesday Funk on November 1^st at 7:30 p.m. to hear Laura along with the rest of talented readers at Hopleaf's upstairs bar!

Today is Game 1 of the 2011 World Series, which makes it the perfect day to share co-host William Shunn's predictions for the 2012 World Series. It's gonna be the Cubbies facing off against the Tigers, it's gonna go to seven games, and ... oh, hell, we'll just let him tell you about it himself, as we captured it two weeks ago at October's edition of Tuesday Funk...

And we hope you'll join us in two more weeks, on Tuesday, November 1st, when we present the stellar lineup of J.D. Adamski, Suzanne Clores, Laura Stark, Cesar Torres, and Matt Wood! Be there or you're outta here, slugger.

At our September reading, the charismatic Edison A. Blake regaled us with an opening chapter from his novel The Original Artificial Stud...

And if you're hungry for more great readings like this one, be sure to join us on Tuesday, November 1st, when we present the stellar lineup of J.D. Adamski, Suzanne Clores, Laura Stark, Cesar Torres, and Matt Wood!