The October edition of Tuesday Funk exemplified our mission of being an eclectic monthly reading series. We began with a story of love and loss from K.B. Jensen. Next, Henri Harps told a tale of a young jazzman who finds his sound in an unlikely source. Cohost Andrew then read a couple topical haiku, then introduced Tom Haley, who found 10 ways to explain a joke.

After the intermission, guest cohost Jasmine Davila read an essay about Filipino Heritage Month and the wait for Filipino culture to get its moment of popularity. Next, Jen Masengarb read haiku about life in the city, many paired with photos that she projected. Lastly, Kevin Smokler told a personal story about searching for a fictional town from the movies that didn't exist -- and eventually finding it.

The illustration here was drawn by Dmitry Samarov -- see the rest on our Facebook page. And if you missed the show, you can watch the readers on our YouTube channel, along with videos of past shows.

We'll be back on Tuesday, Nov. 1 with guests Megan Stielstra, Coya Paz, Cesar Torres, Mary Robinette Kowal and Veronica Arreola. Hope to see you there!

Cohost Andrew Huff only wrote three haiku for the October 4, 2016 episode of Tuesday Funk, and they were really diverse.

VP candidates
are debating each other
right now. Yeah, who cares?

The crack of the bat,
the roar of the crowd. The Cubs
may go all the way.

A friend advised me,
"Answer your oldest email."
Instant stress relief.

Put down that pumpkin spice latte and come see some live lit! Tuesday Funk is back tonight with readings by Tom Haley, Kevin Smokler, Henri Harps, KB Jensen and Jen Masengarb!

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!

Tom Haley divides his time between daytime, and nighttime. He has published several essays, and has previously busied himself as a grad student, writing teacher, copywriter, and book critic. He lives in Albany Park, and works as a creative director for a Chicago marketing agency called Jellyvision.

Please join Tom and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 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.

Jen Masengarb teaches adults and kids about the city and its architecture at the Chicago Architecture Foundation where she writes, teaches, lectures, and designs programs. Several times a year she gets to collaborate with the brainy folks at WBEZ's Curious City to sleuth and report on listener-submitted questions about Chicago's architectural history. When she's not riding the 'L' and writing haiku that chronicle life in the city, she's plane spotting and dreaming of ways to use her passport. She'd like to hear about your favorite place for tacos.

Please join Jen and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 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.

Kevin Smokler (@weegee) is the author of Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies and Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School. His writing about pop culture has appeared in Salon, Buzzfeed, Vulture and on NPR. Originally from Ann Arbor, he lives in San Francisco and when in Chicago, at the Wormhole Cafe.

Please join Kevin and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 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.

K.B. Jensen is an author, journalist and ski instructor. Her first book, Painting With Fire, an artistic murder mystery, hit the bestseller list for crime novels on Amazon and has been downloaded almost 70,000 times. Her new book, A Storm of Stories, veers into more literary territory with themes of love, craziness and impossibility. K.B. grew up in Minneapolis and currently lives in Chicago with her husband, daughter and rescued border collie/lab mix. But she won't be a Midwesterner for long -- she's actually in the process of moving to Colorado. K.B. is also the founder of Indie City Writers, a writing collective on the South Side.

Please join K.B. and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 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.

Henri Harps is a guitarist, writer and jazz fanatic born in Washington D.C. After spending nearly a decade navigating the flailing cultural milieu of New York City - he has finally come to terms with his right to lower blood pressure and clearer head space to pursue more varied creative endeavors. He does this from a happy home in Chicago, which he shares with his wife, menagerie of aging animals, and a continually expanding array of musical instruments.

Please join Henri and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 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.

An autumn chill will soon be in the air, and the 98th edition of Tuesday Funk, your favorite eclectic monthly reading series, will soon be back in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf for readings by Tom Haley, Kevin Smokler, Henri Harps, KB Jensen and Jen Masengarb.

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 97th edition of Tuesday Funk happened on a hot September night, but the readings were downright cool.

Poet Virginia Bell read an excerpt of her memoir in progress about her relationship with her father. Ryan DiGiorgi followed with a story about backing out of getting a tattoo -- and then getting sent to Mars alone as a prank. Cohost Eden Robins then took us into the intermission with a microessay about financial security and status in America.

After the break, special guest cohost (and regular videographer) Kyle Thiessen read a selection of seasonal and topical haiku -- transcribed below -- and then introduced Gina DeLuca, who shared a personal essay about trying her hand at acting, auditioning for commercials for tampons and mammograms.

Fred Sasaki closed out the night with one of his patented emails, this time directed to Katy Perry about one of his daughters.

Miss the show? You can watch the readers on our YouTube channel, along with videos of past shows.

We'll be back on Tuesday, Oct. 4 with guests Tom Haley, Kevin Smokler, Henri Harps, KB Jensen and Jen Masengarb. Hope to see you there!