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.

Blizzards will not keep Chicago down! Even though the weather was awful, our beloved room at Hopleaf was packed, our beer was plentiful, and our readers top-notch.

Alan DeNiro started the night off right with an alternately dark and amusing allegorical tale from his collection Tyrannia. Cameron McGill followed with a series of his signature rich, lyrical poems, and Patty Templeton treated us to an excerpt from her novel There Is No Lovely End, an Old West story about ghosts and snake oil peddlers.

We took a break, chatted with old friends over beers that Mark so lovingly poured.

After the break H. Melt read an essay and a poem about the ups and downs of queer life in Chicago. And Jasmine Davila finished us off with an essay about travel and the thrill of Priority boarding privileges.

We laughed, we thought about crying, we listened intently. This show was the epitome of our mission to curate an eclectic mix of writers and writing. Won't you join us for the next one? March 3, 2015 at 7:30pm - we've got Keidra Chaney, Mare Swallow, Genevieve Waller, Danielle Nicole Susi, and Tom Underberg!

Don't let the blizzard beat you! Come to the Hopleaf tonight for Tuesday Funk #78! Your warm hosts Andrew Huff and Eden Robins will be there to warm you up, Alan DeNiro, Cameron McGill, Patty Templeton, Christa Desir and H.Melt will read stories and poems to warm your heart, and bartender extraordinaire Mark will pour adult beverages to warm your bones.

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!

Alan DeNiro lives in Minnesota. He's the author of two short story collections--Skinny Dipping in the Lake of the Dead, and Tyrannia, both from Small Beer Press; and the novel Total Oblivion, More or Less, from Ballantine. He's recently completed a Young Adult novel.

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

H. Melt is a poet and artist who was born in Chicago. Their work proudly documents Chicago's queer and trans communities. Their writing has been published by Chicago Artist Writers, Lambda Literary, and THEM, the first trans literary journal in the United States. It is also forthcoming in the anthology Writing the Walls Down (Trans-Genre Press). They are the author of SIRvival in the Second City: Transqueer Chicago Poems and currently work at the Poetry Foundation.

Please join H. Melt and all our accomplished readers on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, upstairs at Hopleaf at 7:30 pm. This 21-and-older event is free.

At the 75th edition of Tuesday Funk back in November, blogger Keesha Beckford delivered a heartfelt and sobering plea for the safety of black boys, asking for compassion and action from white moms.

Tuesday Funk is back in February to stir your heart once more. Join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark St. in Chicago, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, when our guests are Alan DeNiro, Cameron McGill, Patty Templeton, Christa Desir and H.Melt. This 21-and-older event is free.

Cameron McGill is a Chicago-based musician and writer. He recently released his sixth album, Gallows Etiquette. His work has appeared in Poetry East, Measure, and Split Lip Magazine.

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