6pm doors / 6:30 readings / 9pm jazz / no cover
Matt McCarthy is the founder, editor, and publisher of the Milwaukee Avenue Messenger and the author of the rock ‘n’ roll novel Livestock! (highfalutin media). Matt lives in Avondale, Chicago, with his wife and their two cats.
Eder I. Aguilar is from and now teaches in Logan Square/Avondale. His family has called the neighborhood home since 1977. He was recently published in the Chicago Tribune. Chicago has his heart. Follow him at @youngederwrites on IG.
Z.D. Jones is a writer and poet studying at the University of Chicago. They are originally from Des Plaines, Illinois. Their work has appeared in Cult. Magazine and is forthcoming in Michigan City Review of Books, Noise Magazine, and LABYRINTHINE.
Phoebe Nerem is a creative writer and visual artist torn between beauty and terror. Their work explores queerness, feeling crazy, and having a romantic fascination with fire. After miraculously earning their Bachelor’s from DePaul University, their artistic and written work has been featured in various publications, including Get Back To Print’s ‘Luminous Beings Are We’ and Sabr Tooth Tiger Magazine’s debut issue. In 2025, Mulberry Literary awarded them their Fresh Voices Award for Poetry. Now, Phoebe continues to feel crazy and ravenously reads, writes, and creates artwork for the beloved collective.
Binx River Perino is the author of Roots (2026) and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. They serve as Managing Editor with Sundress Publications’ Craft Chapbook Series. Their poetry, fiction, and photography have appeared in various literary magazines, journals, and anthologies over the years. Based in Chicago, Binx is preoccupied with film photography and activism. In 2026, they received a “30 Under 30” award by The Windy City Times.
Patrick T. Reardon, a Chicago Tribune reporter from 1976 to 2009, is the author of seven poetry collections. His latest, Every Marred Thing: A Time in America, was the winner of the 2024 Faulkner-Wisdom Prize from the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society of New Orleans (Lavender Ink). He is a six-time nominee in poetry for a Pushcart Prize. His poetry has appeared in America, RHINO, Commonweal, Long Poem, After Hours, Autumn Sky, Burningword Literary Journal, and other journals.
Adrian Sobol is a Polish immigrant / musician / poet. He is the author of two full-length poetry collections HAIR SHIRT and The Life of the Party is Harder to Find Until You’re the Last One Around, both published by Malarkey Books. He lives in Chicago and is the editor-in-chief of KICKING YOUR ASS.
Erin J. Watson is a Southern queer person living in Chicago. She makes zines, rides bikes, and co-hosts the Tuesday Funk reading series. Find her online at tadaemoji.com.