Dayna Bateman is an ecommerce strategist who sometimes writes for obscure trade publications like MultiChannel Merchant and Integrated Solutions for Retailers. Every once in a while she tells true stories at live lit shows around Chicago, and once took home the Loving Cup of Deathless Fucking Glory from the Write Club stage. Dayna is currently working on a memoir about growing up with her dad while he was coming of age in the music industry of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Please join Dayna and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 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.

James Gordon is from the Southside of Chicago, which he still calls home. He is currently costarring in Amazon's The G as Detective Smiley and will appear in the plays Adult-ish and Behind the Scenes. James also appeared on Episode 20, Season 6 of Chicago Fire and will make an appearance on Comedy Central's Southside. He has written several award winning books across many genres and can be found on Twitter at gr8estpoetalive.

Please join James and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 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 holidays are right around the corner, which means there's just one more Tuesday Funk this year. But it's a super good one! Please join us in the upstairs lounge at Hopleaf for readings by James Gordon, Dayna Bateman, Cesar Torres, Rosamund Lannin and Tuesday Funk founder Connor Coyne!

As always, admission to your favorite eclectic monthly reading series is free, but you must be 21 to attend. Doors open at 7pm sharp (don't dawdle if you want a seat!) and the show will start at 7:30pm. Please RSVP on Facebook -- and don't forget to like and follow our page so you get our announcements right in your stream.

As fall entered its more wintry season, and as the tallies began to roll in on election night, Tuesday Funk cohost Andrew Huff shared these topical haiku.

If you did not vote,
you do not get to complain.
You are self-silenced.

Anger and despair
take equal space in my mind
as I read headlines.

A rainy fall day
Wet leaves stick to the sidewalk
Black skeletal trees

Anticipating,
the squirrel builds its warm nest
to dream through winter.

And in honor of a couple of regular attendees' recent nuptials...

Brian and Laura
got married on Saturday.
Congratulations!

The weather turned more wintry on November 6, but Tuesday Funk remained cozy in its upstairs lounge at Hopleaf, ready to hear some great live lit. Alec Nevala-Lee got the evening started with a recently published essay on how Isaac Asimov's Foundation series mirrors current politics. Next, Tom Haley read a bit of dystopian sci-fi set in a future when we've given up the right to vote. Cohost Andrew Huff read a couple of his topical haiku, then Lily Be took us into the break with a story of how the selfish behavior of little boys turns into the entitlement of grown men.

Bartender Alex refilled our drinks, we talked about what we'd heard, and then settled back in for the second half. Cohost Eden Robins led it off with an essay about how the film The Witches of Eastwick is still relevant today, then Britt Julious told a harrowing story about her battle to overcome a debilitating health condition. Finally, Chelsea Fiddyment read — and sang — several experimental pieces to cap off the evening.

We'll be back for our last show of 2018 on Tuesday, Dec. 4, with readings by James Gordon, Dayna Bateman, Amar Taylor, Cesar Torres and Tuesday Funk founder Connor Coyne. You don't want to miss it!

To-dos for today:

1) VOTE! (Not sure where? Find your polling place here!)

2) Chill with your favorite live lit show to remember that life is more than stress and politics. (Also, we'll keep you updated on the results)

We've got a heckuva lineup: Lily Be, Alec Nevala-Lee, Tom Haley, Chelsea Fiddyment, and Britt Julious. And of course, co-hosts Andrew Huff and Eden Robins, who will be biting their nails to the quick just like the rest of you.

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!

Britt Julious is a writer and essayist for publications like the New York Times, Vogue, Bon Appetit, Esquire, ELLE, and others. She currently pens a weekly column for the Chicago Tribune. The Chicago Reader named her the Best Local Writer Who Excels at Social Media and BuzzFeed named her one of the Best Role Models for Ambitious Twentysomethings.

Please join Britt and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 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.

Trash teen supreme. Creator and host of the monthly show UNREAL, an experimental fiction-focused open mic at Schubas Tavern. Language artist working across media to investigate the relationship between form and content. More about Chelsea Fiddyment's work, along with upcoming appearances, can be found at chelseafiddyment.com.

Please join Chelsea and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 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.

Alec Nevala-Lee is the author of the group biography Astounding: John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Golden Age of Science Fiction (HarperCollins) and the novels The Icon Thief, City of Exiles, and Eternal Empire (Penguin). His stories have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Lightspeed Magazine, and two editions of The Year's Best Science Fiction, and he has written for such publications as the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, Salon, Longreads, The Rumpus, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. He lives with his wife and daughter in Oak Park, Illinois.

Please join Alec and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 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.

Tom Haley is a writer and pre-amateur freestyle lap swimmer. He has published several essays, and previously worked as a writing instructor, copywriter, and book critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Time Out Chicago, the Believer and others. He currently works for a Chicago software company called Jellyvision, and lives in Albany Park with his wife Julie and his two sons. He is working on a collection of short fiction, and he voted today.

Please join Tom and our other amazing readers on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 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.