It was a prematurely cold night in what has turned into a series of cold nights, but the audience for the 133rd edition of Tuesday Funk was warm and welcoming in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf on November 5, and our readers were ready to soak it up. Brooklyn-based Marco Rafalà got the show started with an excerpt from his new novel, How Fires End, about a fateful accident in a Sicilian town soon after the end of World War II. Next, Kat Jercich read an essay about attempting to hide her queerness under hundreds of photos of Daniel Radcliffe on her bedroom walls. Then Leland Cheuk shared an excerpt from his new novel, No Good Very Bad Asian before we took a break to refresh our drinks.

After intermission, cohost Andrew Huff read a couple of his patented topical haiku, then Karen Clanton told a story about overcoming racial harassment in a new town as a child. And lastly, Kevin Coval read a selection of poems about Wicker Park from his new collection, Everything Must Go: The Life & Death of an American Neighborhood.

If you missed it, don't feel bad. We'll have video up on our YouTube page soon. And you can catch the next episode of Chicago's favorite eclectic monthly reading series on Tuesday, Dec. 3, when we'll have readings by Ruth Kaufman, Katey Schulz, Anne-Marie Oomen, Norman Doucet and Darshita Jain. Hope to see you there!

Kick fall into high gear with Tuesday Funk - TONIGHT! We'll be featuring Karen Clanton, Kevin Coval, Marco Rafalà, Kat Jercich, and Leland Cheuk! Plus your perennial cohosts, Andrew Huff and Eden Robins.

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. And check it out -- You can now order food from our bartender! See you there!

Karen Clanton is an attorney whose law degree did not stifle the English major lurking within. She has forged a career as a writer in the legal profession, where she has led complex editorial projects in securities law, women's history and diversity. Karen currently works in a large law firm in the area of Diversity & Inclusion. She is a single mom living on the South Side of Chicago chronicling her adventures through stories told on her back porch (or at the kitchen table when it's cold outside) that end up being heard on stages across the city.

Please join Karen and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Kat Jercich is a writer and editor living in Chicago. Her writing has appeared on Rewire.News, Tenderly Magazine, Bitch, Bust, RedEye, xoJane, and the Sacramento News and Review.

Please join Kat and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Kevin Coval is an award-winning poet & author of Everything Must Go: The Life & Death of an American Neighborhood, A People's History of Chicago & over ten other full-length collections, anthologies & chapbooks. He is the founding editor of The BreakBeat Poets imprint on Haymarket Books, & Artistic Director of the MacArthur Award-winning cultural organization, Young Chicago Authors, & founder of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival, the world's largest youth poetry festival, now in more than 19 cities across North America. He's got a lot of hustles. He's shared the stage with The Migos & Nelson Mandela, has published in Poetry Magazine, The Chicago Tribune & CNN.com & co-hosts the podcast, The Cornerstore, on WGN Radio, cuz he loves to listen to people tell stories. He can be found on the internets @kevincoval.

Please join Kevin and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Leland Cheuk is the author of three books of fiction, including the novels The Misadventures of Sulliver Pong and most recently, No Good Very Bad Asian, forthcoming from C&R Press in November 2019. His work has appeared in Salon, Catapult, Joyland Magazine, and Literary Hub, among other outlets. He has been awarded fellowships at The MacDowell Colony, Hawthornden Castle, Djerassi, and elsewhere. He runs the indie press 7.13 Books and lives in Brooklyn. You can follow him on Twitter @lcheuk and at lelandcheuk.com.

Please join Leland and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

Marco Rafalà is a first-generation Sicilian American novelist, musician, and writer for award-winning tabletop role-playing games. He earned his MFA in Fiction from The New School and is a co-curator of the Guerrilla Lit Reading Series in New York City. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, he now lives in Brooklyn, New York. How Fires End is his debut novel.

Please join Marco and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 in the upstairs bar at Hopleaf. Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30. It's free, and 21-and-over. Please RSVP on Facebook.

The air is distinctly chillier, and everything is pumpkin spice-flavored. We hate to break it to you, but decorative gourd season is upon us, and the only cure is Chicago's favorite eclectic live lit series, Tuesday Funk! Join us for readings by Kevin Coval, Karen Clanton, Leland Cheuk, Marco Rafala and Kat Jercich.

Come join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf in Andersonville! As always, admission to Tuesday Funk is free, but you must be 21 to attend. Doors open at 7pm sharp (tables tend to fill up fast, so don't dawdle!) and the show will start at 7:30pm. Please RSVP on Facebook -- and while you're there, maybe like and follow us so you get our announcements right in your stream.

We had a full house in Hopleaf's upstairs lounge for the 132nd edition of Tuesday Funk -- not surprisingly, because we were showcasing The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook, a new anthology from the wonderful Belt Publishing. The standing-room-only was enthusiastic, and your favorite eclectic monthly reading series enjoyed sharing the love.

We got started, appropriately enough, with a story about Andersonville from Sarah Steimer. Next, F. Amanda Tugade told a quick story about trying to hide her unemployment from the manager of the Filipino corner store in her neighborhood. Then Scott Smith shared an essay about how Beverly became integrated.

Everyone refilled their drinks and bought copies of the Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook during intermission, then Ann C. Logue read an essay about how UIC and University Village are a microcosm of Chicago. Closing out the night, Gint Aras, who was also celebrating the release of his new memoir, Relief by Execution, shared an excerpt that touched on immigration, poverty and racism and his own dawning perspective as a young teen.

You missed a great show, but don't worry, we'll have video up on our YouTube channel soon. And you can come to the next show on Tuesday, Nov. 5, when we'll feature readings by Kevin Coval, Karen Clanton, Leland Cheuk, Marco Rafala and Kat Jercich. Hope to see you there!

Come join us for a very special Tuesday Funk, where we'll be showcasing Belt Publishing's anthology The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook! Featuring such local luminaries as Annie Logue, Scott Smith, F. Amanda Tugade, Gint Aras, and Sarah Steimer!

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. And check it out -- You can now order food from our bartender! See you there!