The fluffy white snow has transitioned to hard black lumps, which means... it's almost spring! We rang in the new season with an evening of awesome readers!

Genevieve Waller warmed up the crowd with four linked essays about living with nature in the city. Danielle Susi followed that up with a series of poems from her new manuscript, and then co-host Andrew Huff got in on the poetry game with his patented seasonal haiku. Tom Underberg finished up the first half with an excerpt from his Chicago-based ghost story.

Cameron was playing the part of Mark this week, and did us proud.

After the half, co-host Eden Robins read a microessay about feeling old at a rock show, and then Mare Swallow spoke about feeling invisible as a child-free woman. Finally, Keidra Chaney made us all ravenous with her story of cooking and family legacies.

We left everyone hungry for more... and luckily there is more! Join us on Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30pm for readings by Christian Picciolini, Mikki Kendall, Sara Ross Witt, Mary Anne Mohanraj, and Parker Molloy.

February was a short month, so don't forget - Tuesday Funk #79 is tonight!! Andrew Huff and Eden Robins will be your trusty sherpas through an evening of Everest-quality readings - featuring Keidra Chaney, Danielle Susi, Mare Swallow, Genevieve Waller, and Tom Underberg! And of course, Mark will be your drinks sherpa for the, erm, hike up Beer Mountain.

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!

Danielle Susi is the author of the chapbook The Month in Which We Are Born (Dancing Girl Press). Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Knee-Jerk Magazine, Hobart, The Rumpus, Lines+Stars, DIALOGIST, and Midway Journal, among many others. Recently, Newcity named her among the Top 5 Emerging Chicago Poets. You can find her online at daniellesusi.com.

Please join Danielle and all our impressive readers on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Genevieve Sedlack Waller's career path veered dramatically when, at 10 years old, she realized that being a veterinarian would mean she'd have to put animals to sleep. Inspired by her cartoon idol, the savvy red-headed reporter Brenda Starr, she decided to become a writer instead. With gusto she carved out her first job in the late '70s as the sole founder, reporter, editor, designer and salesperson for The Claremont Review - named after the Chicago street she called home. That childhood experience shaped her professional career as a reporter for daily newspapers, the legendary City News Bureau, and Chicago's agricultural and financial markets. She founded Crooked Door Storytelling in 2011 and currently defines herself as an oral storyteller, teaching artist, essayist and fiction writer. She finds her inspiration from seemingly everyday moments and the roads she's traveled in the world. And she remains quite thrilled with her long-ago career choice.

Please join Genevieve and all our word-loving readers on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

As a writer, Mare Swallow is working on her business book, Pay Attention to the Brown M&Ms. She is also a public speaking coach in Chicago. When she's not doing those two things, she is the Executive Director of the Chicago Writers Conference. Join them at their annual benefit, "Bad Poetry Night" on March 31.

Please join Mare and all our multi-talented readers on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Keidra Chaney is a Chicago-born-and-raised writer and editor who focuses on pop culture, music, and technology. She's been published in Newcity, Chicago Sun-Times, Time Out Chicago, Bitch Magazine, Paste magazine and tons of publications that don't exist anymore. A blogger since 1999, she is the co-founder and managing editor of The Learned Fangirl, a blog about pop culture and technology and an editor at JSTOR Daily. She occasionally plays bass guitar with her band Sole Heiress for beer and LOLs.

Please join Keidra and all our fantastic readers on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Tom Underberg writes speculative fiction and raises children. He was born in Michigan, raised in Wisconsin, and resides in Illinois, which may explain why so many of his stories revolve around Midwestern oddities. Tom has worked for The Man as a consultant and washed The Man's dishes for beer money and lodging. His fiction has appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction and Weird Tales. He is available for beer and scotch tastings. You can find him on twitter as tomatlarge.

Please join Tom and all our brown liquor-loving readers on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Time marches on, and so does Tuesday Funk. Join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St. in Chicago, on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, when our guests are Keidra Chaney, Mare Swallow, Genevieve Waller, Danielle Susi, and Tom Underberg!

Doors open at 7:00 pm sharp -- no earlier, alas, but get there as close to 7 as possible to grab a table, as the room fills up quickly -- and the show begins at 7:30. Andrew Huff and Eden Robins co-host, the always genial Mark bartends, and there's delicious food to be had downstairs before or after the reading. Admission is free, but you must be 21 or older.

RSVP right here and bring a friend. And why not become a fan of the Funk on Facebook so you never miss an invitation to one of our readings? See you March 3!

At the Feb. 3rd edition of Tuesday Funk, co-host Andrew Huff's topical haiku were even more ripped from the headlines than normal.

Election Tuesday
the voters spoke loud and clear:
Let's have a runoff.

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow.
Now and ice and cold, wet wind.
Sweet spring, where are you?

As bad as it is,
At least we're not in Boston.
Nine feet and rising.

Llamas on the loose!
White and gold or blue and black.
Bird-riding weasel.

February fits
neatly Saturday-Sunday
on the calendar

Lump of sugar,
whiskey, bitters, orange peel.
Call me Old Fashioned.

At the Feb. 3rd edition of Tuesday Funk, co-host Andrew Huff's topical haiku were even more ripped from the headlines than normal.

Election Tuesday
the voters spoke loud and clear:
Let's have a runoff.

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow.
Now and ice and cold, wet wind.
Sweet spring, where are you?

As bad as it is,
At least we're not in Boston.
Nine feet and rising.

Llamas on the loose!
White and gold or blue and black.
Bird-riding weasel.

February fits
neatly Saturday-Sunday
on the calendar

Lump of sugar,
whiskey, bitters, orange peel.
Call me Old Fashioned.