Bare-Knuckled Lit is a collection of some of the funniest, most persuasive, and deliciously pugnacious essays from the live lit phenomenon WRITE CLUB. At the vanguard of the nation’s burgeoning live lit scene, WRITE CLUB features compelling performers reading their own riveting prose in a growing number of shows in cities across the continent. Founded in Chicago in 2010 by the perennially irritable Ian Belknap, WRITE CLUB is monthly literary smackdown that pits writers against each other to defend opposing ideas: Light vs. Dark, Fate vs. Free Will, Vampires vs. Bare-Knuckled Lit comprises some 30 essays by a variety of writers from WRITE CLUB shows across the continent, arranged in head to head bouts. The pieces are necessarily short and tackle a variety of topics, from feather- to heavy-weight. Some of the country’s funniest, most thoughtful, and deeply irreverent writers are represented here: Samantha Irby, Daniel Shapiro, Josh Zagoren, Dave Stinton, Nick Tecosky, Myke Johns, Casey Childers, Steven Westdahl, and others.