James Finn Garner is the author of the Politically Correct Bedtime Stories trilogy, which will soon be published in the Czech Republic and Turkey. He recently launched the webcomic, Single White Vigilante, about a superhero hitting the lonely stretch of his mid-30s (it doesn't help that he drunk dials the villains he has put in jail). His latest project is the clown noir mystery series starring Rex Koko, Private Clown. These titles include Honk Honk, My Darling; Double Indignity; and The Wet Nose of Danger.

Please join James and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

Michi Trota is the two-time Hugo Award-winning Managing Editor of Uncanny: A Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the first Filipina Hugo Award winner. She is an essayist, public speaker, fire performance artist, and serves as president on the board for Chicago Nerd Social Club.

Please join Michi and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

May the weather be milder by then, and may you join us on Tuesday, May 1 in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf for Tuesday Funk, with readings by Rachel Arndt, James Finn Garner, Michi Trota, B. Metzger Sampson and Felix Jung.

As always, admission is free, but you must be 21 to attend. Doors open at 7pm sharp (don't dawdle if you want a seat!) and the show will start at 7:30pm. Please RSVP on Facebook -- and don't forget to like our page so you get our announcements right in your stream.

Sponsored by the Chicago Review of Books.

Cohost Andrew Huff gave us five topical haiku on April 3, 2018.

Spring in Chicago.
Don't like the weather? Just wait.
It will change again.

Loyola Ramblers
reminded Chicagoans
how school spirit looks.

When the internet
is vital to normal life,
who runs the country?

Easter, Passover
April Fool's, all on one day.
What is this, a joke?

We must persevere.
Hold the line until we can
vote the bastards out.

The weather was classically "Chicago in early spring," but your favorite eclectic monthly reading series kept everyone warm and dry in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf on April 3.

Kelly Swails started things off with an essay about the change of faith necessary to go from being a Cardinals fan to a Cubs fan. Next, Ruben Quesada read some deeply personal poetry, then Cinnamon Cooper shared a story of discovering freedom as a child in a domestic violence shelter.

We took a break, then cohost Andrew Huff shared a couple of his patented topical haiku, then Levi Todd recited poetry that both challenged and amused the audience. Finally, Nestor Gomez told a story about immigration, followed by a heartfelt poem about forgiveness.

Tuesday Funk will be back at Hopleaf on Tuesday, May 1 with readings by Rachel Arndt, James Finn Garner, Michi Trota, B. Metzger Sampson and Felix Jung. Hope to see you there!

Emerge from your winter cocoon tonight and come hear some great writing by Tracy Harford-Porter, Nestor Gomez, Kelly Swails, Ruben Quesada, and Levi Todd! Helmed, as always, by your trusty co-captains, Andrew Huff and Eden Robins.

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. No food can be brought up from the restaurant. See you there!

Levi Todd is a queer poet and lifelong witness to the Chicago Renaissance. He is the founder of Reacting Out Loud, an independent organization devoted to uplifting poetry and affirming community in Muncie, Indiana. He is also a reader for Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and his work is published or forthcoming in Glass: A Journal of Poetry, thread, The Broken Plate, and anthologies from Blueshift Journal and Winter Tangerine. You can follow him on Twitter @levicitodd, where he'd love to hear about your favorite Carly Rae Jepsen song.

Please join Levi and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

Ruben Quesada has taught writing, literature, and literary translation at Vermont College of Fine Arts and at Columbia College Chicago. He is the author of Next Extinct Mammal and Exiled from the Throne of Night: Selected Translations of Luis Cernuda. His writing and digital media have been featured at The Art Institute of Chicago, The Poetry Foundation, Oxford American, Ploughshares, TriQuarterly, The American Poetry Review and elsewhere.

Please join Ruben and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

Tracy Harford-Porter was born in Brooklyn, NY and now resides in the Chicago suburbs. She has worked for Essence Communications as a photo editor, the Harlem Children's Zone as the managing editor of Harlem Overheard, StoryCorps as a facilitator coordinator, and Goldman Sachs as a long-term administrative temp/secret ethnographer. Tracy is a 2008 graduate of Clarion West and proud alum of Columbia University School of General Studies, majoring in anthropology. She is currently reworking a NaNoWriMo project into a novel and a screenplay because she is a masochist.

Please join Tracy and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.

Nestor Gomez was born in Guatemala and has lived in Chicago for the last 30 years. Almost 3 years ago, he told his first story as a way to get over the stuttering that had plagued his childhood, and since then he has been telling stories all over the United States. He has won 30 Moth Slams and 2 Grand Slams, and his stories have been featured on The Moth Radio Hour, Snap Judgment, and several other national broadcast podcast. He also produces, hosts and curates his own storytelling show, 80 Minutes Around the World, which showcases the stories of immigrants and allies. Nestor is currently working on a book, a collection of poems and a collection of short stories. Find out more about Nestor on his website Nestorgomezstoryteller.com.

Please join Nestor and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. RSVP on Facebook.