Hallie Palladino is an essayist, dramatist and an original founder of Tuesday Funk. In 2008 Connor Coyne enlisted her along with Reinhart Suarez to produce a reading series as part of his Gothic Funk Nation arts collective. Hallie's plays include Infatuation which was workshopped by the Dandelion Theater this fall, Missed Connections, and Sunrise: Ardmore Beach. Her essay "Gather the Stars" appears in The Point, and her essay "Tending Imaginary Sheep" will appear in Thread this coming year.

Please join Hallie and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 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.

Our December episode of Tuesday Funk is a very special one: We're celebrating our 100th episode! And in honor of that milestone, we've got a very special line-up: every one of the show's hosts, past and present. Please join us for readings by Connor Coyne, Reinhardt Suarez, Hallie Palladino, Sara Ross Witt and William Shunn — plus current cohosts, Andrew Huff and Eden Robins!

Doors open at 7pm -- no earlier, please -- and the show starts at 7:30 sharp. So get there early to grab a seat, but not too early. As always, admission is free, but you must be 21 or older. And come early or stay late after for dinner or snacks downstairs.

Please RSVP on Facebook, and bring a friend. And don't forget to become a fan so you never miss an invitation to one of our readings. Sponsored by the Chicago Review of Books.

The November 1, 2016 episode of Tuesday Funk happened in the midst of so much news, Andrew's haiku had to cover a lot of ground.

Cubs in World Series!
Tinker and Evers and Chance
smile down from heaven.

Win so we never
have to hear about the curse
again after this.

One week from tonight
e'll know how the next years will be:
gridlock or fascist.

We'll either elect
our first female president
or our first Russian despot.

Monday Halloween.
Kids up late on a school night,
hunting sugar highs.

With the Cubs battling their way back from behind in the World Series, the crowd was a little smaller for your favorite eclectic live lit series, but those who made it saw a fantastic show.

Veronica Arreola led us off with an essay about what her self-given title "professional feminist" entails. Then, Coya Paz told 10 personal ghost stories, inspired in part by the play, 100 Hauntings, she's currently directing at Free Street Theater. Next, Mary Robinette Kowal read an excerpt from her book Ghost Talkers.

After the intermission, cohost Andrew Huff read a few of his trademark topical haiku, then introduced Cesar Torres, who read an portion of his upcoming book 9 Lords of Night. Lastly, Megan Stielstra shared a coming of age story of sorts, featuring an encounter with a guy with a glass testicle.

We'll be back in December with a very special 100th episode — featuring every one of Tuesday Funk's cohosts, past and present! Join us on Tuesday, Dec. 6 for readings by Connor Coyne, Reinhardt Suarez, Hallie Palladino, Sara Ross Witt and William Shunn, in addition to current cohosts Andrew Huff and Eden Robins! Hope to see you there!

Shake off that Halloween hangover and come see some live lit! Tuesday Funk is back tonight with readings by Megan Stielstra, Coya Paz, Cesar Torres, Mary Robinette Kowal and Veronica Arreola! Plus special guest host Jasmine Davila is back!

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 in from the restaurant. See you there!

Coya Paz is a writer, director, and lip gloss connoisseur who was raised in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, and the United States. She is the artistic director of Free Street Theater, a cofounder of the Proyecto Latina collective, and served as the founding co-Artistic Director of Teatro Luna for nine years. Coya is an associate professor in The Theatre School at DePaul University and holds a PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. She is a regular commentator on race, politics, and pop culture for Vocalo.org. Her latest performance project, 100 Hauntings, is running at Free Street Theater through December 2nd. Above all, she believes in the power of poetry and performance to build community towards social change. Visit her on the web at coyapaz.com

Please join Coya and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 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.

Cesar Torres is the author of the 2014 supernatural thriller 13 Secret Cities, as well as the erotic LGBTQ book series How to Kill a Superhero, which he writes under the pseudonym Pablo Greene. Cesar's books cut across the genres of fantasy, sci fi and suspense, and his characters explore isolation, loss, and their elusive quests for consciousness. Cesar attended the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor in their graduate program. Cesar's next novel, 9 Lords of Night, a new crime thriller set in Chicago and New York City, is scheduled to release in 2017. Gold, the fourth book in the How to Kill a Superhero book series, will also launch next year. Cesar publishes all his novels through his company Solar Six, which also features two clothing lines, a podcast, and an upcoming series of short documentaries.

Please join Cesar and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 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.

Megan Stielstra is the author of Once I Was Cool and Everyone Remain Calm. Her work appears in the Best American Essays, New York Times, Guernica, the Rumpus, and on National Public Radio, and she performs regularly for the 2nd Story storytelling series and The Paper Machete live news magazine at The Green Mill. Her next collection, The Wrong Way To Save Your Life, is forthcoming summer 2017 from Harper Perennial.

Please join Megan and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 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.

Veronica Arreola is a professional feminist, writer, and mom. Veronica is contributing to Bitch Media's Campaign 2016 coverage and serves on their board of directors. Her writing has also be featured in outlets such as USA Today, New York Times, and the anthology, "Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox." Veronica's blog, Viva la Feminista, has been named a top political blog by Blogher and LATISM. For 10 years she worked on diversity issues at the UIC Women in Science and Engineering Program. She lives in West Rogers Park with her husband, teenage daughter and two rescue dogs.

Please join Veronica and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 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.

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of The Glamourist Histories series of fantasy novels. She has received the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, three Hugo awards, and the RT Reviews award for Best Fantasy Novel. Her work has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards. Stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Asimov's, and several Year's Best anthologies as well as in her collection Scenting the Dark and Other Stories from Subterranean.

Mary, a professional puppeteer and voice actor, has performed for LazyTown (CBS), the Center for Puppetry Arts, Jim Henson Pictures and founded Other Hand Productions. Her designs have garnered two UNIMA-USA Citations of Excellence, the highest award an American puppeteer can achieve. She is a member of SAG/AFTRA and records fiction for authors such as Kage Baker, Cory Doctorow and John Scalzi. Mary lives in Chicago with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters.

Please join Mary and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 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.

Photo © 2012 Rod Searcey.