December 2025 Debrief

The upstairs lounge at Hopleaf was filled with good cheer on Tuesday, Dec. 2, as Chicago's favorite eclectic reading series they soon would hear. A full house turned out for the 165th edition of Tuesday Funk, and though we were short a reader — Edward Moses fell ill and couldn't make it — we all had a great time.

Ben Gucciardi kicked things off with a portion of a story about a government agency that controls the weather and the man fighting against it. Then Michal Eskayo read an essay about personal identity, friends, family, and politics. Cohost Andrew Huff shared a couple of his topical haiku, and we took a break.

When we came back, cohost Erin Watson gave one of her trademark toasts, and Sophie Lucido Johnson read passages from her new book, Kin: The Future of Family. Then Daniel Kraus closed us out with a true story about an accused murderer near his home town, and how it helped shape his future.

We'll be back at Hopleaf on Tuesday, January 6 with readings by Matt Carmichael, Peter Coviello, Kelsey McGrath, Sara Paretsky, and Dmitry Samarov. Hope to see you there!