The next Frunchroom will be January 19th at 730pm, the night before the Presidential inauguration.

This eighth edition of The Frunchroom will take place in the middle of another Chicago winter and follows a tumultuous 2016, both in the neighborhood and nationally. With this in mind, we want to continue to provide a place for diverse storytelling in a warm atmosphere that celebrates shared experiences and new voices.

Our goal from the beginning has been to explore all aspects of the South Side, but specifically to talk about the stuff that doesn’t make headlines. We’ve done this by mixing together reporters and business owners, poets and DJs, lawyers and teachers. As different as each story is, it all feels familiar. And we need some of that right now.

The Frunchroom continues to be produced as a showcase for original written work, in partnership with The Beverly Area Arts Alliance, the organization responsible for local arts events like The Beverly Art Walk, the Uprising Craft Market and Local Art on Tap.

We also have big plans for The Frunchroom this year, including a special second anniversary show in April and an upcoming podcast series.

A neighborhood institution since 1954, Beverly Woods Restaurant hosts The Frunchroom in its Caravan Room, which will feature retro-inspired, arts-driven decor created by Alliance members. In addition, Alliance board member and Horse Thief Hollow manager Lizzy Benner will guest bartend at Beverly Woods serving unique craft cocktails not found elsewhere.

A $5 donation at the door is requested, which goes to support the work of The Beverly Area Arts Alliance, a non-profit, volunteer-supported organization bringing arts and community events to the South Side.

Without further ado, here are the readers for January’s show:

L.D. Barnes
Blogger, poet, mystery writer, essayist, wife and nerd

Robin Baumgarten
WGN Morning News anchor and lifetime South Sider

John Chatz
Blogger, tech consultant, softball player and father to many

Eric Charles May
Writer, professor, Sox fan, native South Sider

Jamie Nesbitt Golden
Journalist, mom, coffee-drinker, Buffy-expert

Bios and more to come soon. See you on January 19th.