Jeremy Jasper obtained his bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement from Western Illinois in 2011 and is currently working towards his second bachelor's degree in Fiction Writing at Columbia College Chicago. His fiction has appeared in Joyland: A Hub for Short Fiction, and his non-fiction has appeared in the Atticus Review.

Please join Jeremy and all our outstanding readers on Tuesday, April 2, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older-only event is free.

When not slowly going insane, Reinhardt Suarez writes, edits, and teaches video game writing at the Loft Literary Center in downtown Minneapolis. He is also a member of the Chicago-based band The Pork Chop Express—this he does simultaneously with going insane to save time.

Most recently, Reinhardt co-authored a story with Angela Veronica Wong, illustrated by Christine Norrie, for Secret Identities Vol. 2: Shattered, an Asian-American graphic novel anthology. In late December of 2012, he released The Green Ray of the Sun, a young adult novel with an original music album composed by Wes Alexander. The bulk of his published work, however, is forever enmeshed in texts authored by other, more illustrious names. He'd like you to know that he's reasonably okay with this. Reasonably.

Keep track of his hijinks at www.theporkchopexpress.com.

Please join Reinhardt and all our outstanding readers on Tuesday, April 2, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older-only event is free.

Wesley Chu was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he grew up as one of approximately five Asian kids in the state. Eventually he ended up in Chicago, where he became a kung fu master and gymnast.

A former stunt man and a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Wesley is a also a contributing writer for the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. Besides working as a vice president at a bank, he spends his time writing and hanging out with his wife Paula Kim and their Airedale terrier Eva.

Wesley's debut novel, The Lives of Tao, hits shelves April 30th.

Please join Wesley and all our outstanding readers on Tuesday, April 2, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older-only event is free.

Reagan Keeter has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's in technical communication. He has been writing professionally for more than eleven years, working as an author, journalist, and technical writer. He is a member of the Chicago Writers Association and recently had short stories published in The Chicagoland Journal, Wordhaus, and Dark Dreams. Additionally, he scripted a short film that was released in 2003, and in 2006 received a grant from the DeKalb Council for the Arts to author a series of stories for children. For more information, visit his website at www.reagankeeter.com.

Please join Reagan and all our outstanding readers on Tuesday, April 2, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older-only event is free.

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of Shades of Milk and Honey and Glamour in Glass, both nominated for the Nebula Award. The sequel, Without a Summer, is launching on April 2nd at Tuesday Funk.

In 2008 she received the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and in 2011, her short story "For Want of a Nail" won the Hugo Award for Short Story. Her work has been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards. Her stories appear in Asimov's, Clarkesworld, and several Year's Best anthologies.

Mary, a professional puppeteer, also performs as a voice actor, recording fiction for authors such as Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow, and John Scalzi. She lives in Chicago with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters. Visit www.maryrobinettekowal.com.

Please join Mary and all our outstanding readers on Tuesday, April 2, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older-only event is free.

Tuesday Funk is proud to inaugurate its association with Gapers Block at our April 2nd reading, by welcoming Andrew Huff as our new co-host!

Gapers Block is a Chicago-centric online publication founded in 2003 with the intent of getting people to slow down and check out their city. An all-volunteer staff writes news, events and commentary about Chicago and its multifaceted people and neighborhoods. Gapers Block has covered Tuesday Funk since its early days, and Gapers Block founder and publisher Andrew Huff is proud to be involved in its latest evolution.

So please join us on April 2nd to hear our great readers, Mary Robinette Kowal, Jeremy Jasper, Wesley Chu, Reagan Keeter, and Tuesday Funk co-founder Reinhardt Suarez, and to help us welcome Andrew aboard!

We've put together an April lineup for Tuesday Funk fit to melt your cold heart at the end of this long winter. The roster will feature Mary Robinette Kowal, Jeremy Jasper, Wesley Chu, Reagan Keeter, and Tuesday Funk co-founder Reinhardt Suarez. Throw in one of our patented Poems by Bill, not to mention your pick of cold beers from around the world, and you've got all the ingredients for the perfect spring thaw. We'll also be welcoming our new host, Gapers Block's Andrew Huff, so you won't want to miss it!

The evening gets underway with your hosts William Shunn and Andrew Huff on Tuesday, February 5th, 2012, 7:30 pm, in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St., Chicago. Arrive early for a table and grab a beer from Mark at the bar (where credit cards are now accepted!). We start seating at 7:00 pm and no earlier. Admission is always free, but you must be 21 or older. And come early or stay late after for some great Belgian-style food downstairs.

Please bring plenty of friends, and become a fan of Tuesday Funk on Facebook so you never miss an invitation to one of our readings. See you there!

It was a small but hardy crowd that braved the roaring snow to make it out to this week's edition of Tuesday Funk. The thirty-odd folks in attendance were treated to a strong program featuring some returning readers, some first-timers, a whole lot of laughs, and maybe a sniffle or two. (Hey, it's cold out, okay?)

We kicked off the festivities with Dana Norris, who brought us a painfully funny reminiscence of her quest to lose her fear of hell. Mairead Case followed that up with a tantalizing excerpt from her novel-in-progress about teenagers in a small midwestern town. And Zoe Zolbrod took us through the Thai countryside on a quest for sex and opium in her essay "Pai Foot," from The Beautiful Anthology.

After a break for beer, our Poem by Bill was "Time Is Not on My Side." Bill followed that up (subbing in for a travel-stranded Lania Knight) with a chapter from his recently completed young-adult science fiction novel, Root, which is set right here in Tuesday Funk's very own Chicago neighborhood. (Or is it?) And CP Chang brought the scripted portion of the show to a lovely, contemplative close with his meditation on race and belonging, "Tribes," from the 2nd Story anthology Briefly Knocked Unconscious by a Low-Flying Duck.

It was then that we bid a fond and slightly choked-up farewell to our departing co-host Sara Ross Witt, who will now be focusing more on her own writing (and who will next be appearing on our program as a reader on May 7th!). Thanks for all the great work, Sara, and we look forward to what you'll produce in the months to come.

All in all, it was a program that seemed to delight our (unusually polite) audience, but if you couldn't be there don't despair. We'll bring you plenty of video excerpts in the weeks to come, and then we'll be back Tuesday, April 2, 2013, with a program featuring Mary Robinette Kowal, Jeremy Jasper, Wesley Chu, Reagan Keeter, and Tuesday Funk co-founder Reinhardt Suarez, not to mention the debut appearance of our new co-host, Gapers Block's Andrew Huff. Don't miss it!

And like Bill exhorted us Tuesday night, don't procrastinate.

Listen up, Funkers! Lest we've been unclear, let me break it down for you. We are not canceling Tuesday Funk tonight because of a little snow. Repeat, Tuesday Funk is on, baby. Bring it.

Tuesday Funk is putting you on notice, Winter Storm! We didn't cancel the show during the legendary blizzard of 2011, and we're not canceling it tonight either.

Remember, Funkers, your presence is requested tonight for Tuesday Funk's 55th episode, featuring Mairead Case, CP Chang, Dana Norris, Zoe Zolbrod, and co-host William Shunn (filling in for Lania Knight, who's stranded out of town). Plus, it's our farewell party for longtime co-host Sara Ross Witt. Please don't miss it!

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!