The Nov. 4th edition of Tuesday Funk brought a new crop of topical haiku from co-host Andrew Huff, including a Halloween treat.

Your first rule as host
is speak clearly. The second
is don't forget stuff.

Neither snow nor rain
nor gloomy night stays these kids
from Halloween treats.

Did you vote today?
No matter the candidate,
your civic duty.

When polling places
fail to open, civil servants
come to the rescue.

There's no time like the holidays -- and many of us have no time during the holidays. But make room in your busy schedule for the December edition of Tuesday Funk, Chicago's eclectic monthly reading series, with readings by Jac Jemc, Clayton Smith, Karen Genelly, James Gordon (aka G.P.A.), and Jonathan Eig!

The reading gets underway on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, at 7:30 pm in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St., Chicago. Doors open at 7:00 pm sharp -- no earlier, unfortunately, but get there as close to 7 as possible to grab a table, as the room fills up quickly. Andrew Huff and Eden Robins co-host, our genial bartender Mark has a beer for you, and stop downstairs before or after the show for a nice, hot meal. Admission is free, but you must be 21 or older.

RSVP right here and bring a friend. And hey, become a fan of the show on Facebook so you never miss an invitation to one of our readings. See you on Dec. 2!

Ah... remember when we were all rosy-cheeked from voting, that glorious window between filling in those arrows and finding out that everything had gone horribly wrong? Remember how we all went to Tuesday Funk #75 together and had a glorious time listening to amazing readers?

Let's always remember it this way. The good times. Let them roll.

Melinda McIntire jerked our funny bones as well as our fear-flexes with a story of near-pregnancy, of love lost and sanity gained. Tom Haley followed with a dryly funny story of car-smashed cats and sentient grape tomatoes. And former co-host William Shunn made us all nostalgic with one of his signature poems... and an excerpt of a cool-as-hell sci-fi story involving nanotech, brain feeds, and hip New York parties.

We paused for a message from our local booze-peddler, Mark.

In the second half, Keesha Beckford delivered a heartfelt and sobering plea for the safety of black boys, asking for compassion and action from white moms. And Maggie Jenkins delivered an inspirational and heartbreaking story about trying to achieve one's goals... and falling just short.

So when you look at the election results, just remember what a swell time we all had that night. And come have another swell time with us on December 2nd, when we'll be featuring Jac Jemc, Jonathan Eig, Karen Genelly, James Gordon, and Carly Oishi!

Oh my goodness what a day - doing your civic duty and then getting to check out some sweet live lit? Does it get any better than this? Tuesday Funk #75 is tonight... consider it your reward for participating in your democracy.

So stuff the ballot box and then visit your loyal co-hosts Andrew Huff and Eden Robins, with stellar readers Tom Haley, Maggie Jenkins, Melinda McIntire, Keesha Beckford and former co-host William Shunn!

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 recently bought a bicycle, and enjoys it, and thinks the single-speed was a good choice, though ideally that gear would be a little bigger, because although it's easy to get going from a dead stop, it's difficult to go fast because you're just pedaling like crazy.

Tom has published several essays, and has previously busied himself as a grad student, writing teacher, copywriter, and book critic. He currently lives in Logan Square with his two sons, and works as a creative director for a Chicago marketing agency called Jellyvision.

Please join Tom and all our bike-loving readers on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Maggie Jenkins is a comic, storyteller, writer, runner and rapper. She has been a featured storyteller at Tuesday Funk, Write Club, Guts and Glory, Essay Fiesta and Story Club North Side, among others. Maggie is the co-producer of Serving the Sentence -- held the second Sunday of each month at Towbar in Rogers Park -- which features readers telling stories beginning with the same audience-suggested first sentence.

A five-time Chicago Marathoner, she is the co-founder of the blog RulesforRunning.com and a contributor to NBC Chicago's running blog, Stride. Maggie also is a member of She's Crafty, Chicago's all-female Beastie Boys tribute. Find out more about Maggie's other upcoming appearances at maggiekay.org.

Please join Maggie and all our in-demand readers on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Melinda McIntire is the co-founder of Solo in the 2nd City, a blog about dating and relationships. She specializes in writing about dating, sex, and relationships for various publications and editing bad online dating profiles. She lives in Pilsen with her two dogs and yes, is very much single.

Please join Melinda and all our sexy readers on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

William Shunn is a former host and producer of Tuesday Funk. He lives with his wife Laura Chavoen and their wheaten terrier Ella in New York City, where he writes science fiction. He is working on a short film, Stand Up, and will publish his memoir, tentatively titled The Accidental Terrorist, in 2015. Learn more, including how to properly format your manuscript, at shunn.net.

Please join Bill and all our Chicagoan-at-heart readers on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Before her two children re-choreographed her life, Keesha Beckford was a professional dancer who performed in the U.S. and in Europe. Today she teaches modern and jazz dance in the Chicago area. She is also the human cyclone behind the blog Mom's New Stage. A multitasker at heart, she shows fierce skills at simultaneously writing, choreographing, checking Facebook and Pinterest updates, playing the role of a mother named Joan "Kumbaya" Crawford, and overcooking food. Keesha is one of the select contributing authors of In The Powder Room's first anthology, You Have Lipstick on Your Teeth. Her writing has been featured on Mamapedia, The Huffington Post, and in the bestselling anthology I Just Want to Pee Alone.

Please join Keesha and all our multitasking readers on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

The weather may be getting cooler, but there's nothing like a little live lit to warm you up. On Nov. 4, Andrew Huff and Eden Robins co-host the November edition of Chicago's eclectic monthly reading series, with readings by Tom Haley, Maggie Jenkins, Melinda McIntire, Keesha Beckford and former co-host William Shunn!.

The reading gets underway on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, at 7:30 pm in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St., Chicago. Doors open at 7:00 pm sharp -- no earlier, unfortunately, but get there as close to 7 as possible to grab a table, as the room fills up quickly. Our lovely bartender Mark has a beer for you, and stop downstairs before or after the show for a nice meal. Admission is free, but you must be 21 or older.

RSVP right here and bring a friend. And hey, become a fan of the show on Facebook so you never miss an invitation to one of our readings. See you on Nov. 4!