G.P.A.(Greatest Poet Alive) aka James Gordon is from the South Side of Chicago. He is the author of six books of Poetry, including the award winning Readers' Favorite Poetry Book (Love and Romance) Revenge of the Orgasm and the Children's Book of the Year Hi My Name is Bobo. G.P.A. can also be seen in the movies (Animals and Persian Version) and on TV (Sirens, Shameless, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD). He can be found at GPA MEDIA INC and on Twitter at gr8estpoetalive.

Please join G.P.A and all our superlative readers on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Jonathan Eig is a former Wall Street Journal reporter and the New York Times best-selling author of four books: Luckiest Man, Opening Day, Get Capone, and, most recently, The Birth of the Pill. Ken Burns has called Eig a "master storyteller" and The Washington Post described The Birth of the Pill as "a gripping tale" and "essential reading."

Please join Jonathan and all our essential readers on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Jac Jemc's first story collection, A Different Bed Every Time, is newly out from Dzanc Books. Her novel, My Only Wife, was a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and winner of the Paula Anderson Book Award. She is the poetry editor for decomP and nonfiction editor for Hobart.

Please join Jac and all our accomplished readers on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Clayton Smith is a writer of speculative fiction and an avid curser of winter weather. He writes novels, short stories, and plays, mostly. His work has been featured on the popular Internet site Amazon, and his plays have been produced rather mercilessly in St. Louis and New York City. His published work includes the novel Apocalypticon, the short story collection Pants on Fire: A Collection of Lies, and the upcoming novel IF.

Please join Clayton and all our winter-cursing readers on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

Karen Genelly is a native Chicagoan who has traveled a lot but always returns home. As a docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, she tells stories of Chicago and the people that make it a great city. Two years ago, she took an early retirement from the Chicago Board of Education and is now exploring the world beyond kids, paperwork, and her daily rant about Rahm Emmanuel. She has told stories at This Much is True, Story Lab, Do Not Submit, That's All She Wrote, Is this a Thing?, Homewood Stories, and at various open mics around the city.

Please join Karen and all our Chicago-loving readers on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

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.