Ear Hustle
Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison. Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne’s release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration.From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a “"very real” and “untragic” take on prison life. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 3, 2021 • 47min
Sugarbutt's a Snail
A lot has happened since we got behind the mics to record Ear Hustle’s first season. As we begin our seventh, we catch up with three people whom listeners first heard from inside San Quentin, and hear about the twists and turns their lives have taken since.
Rauch first appeared in the episode Looking Out.
Ronnie first appeared in the episode Kissing the Concrete.
Curtis first appeared in the episode Left Behind, and later in the episode I Want the Fairy Tale.
As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
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Feb 17, 2021 • 37min
Ear Hustle Presents: Suave
While we work on our next season, launching March 3, we’re excited to introduce you to a new podcast series that we love, and think Ear Hustle fans will too. “Suave,” from Futuro Studios, tells the story of a man sentenced to life without parole when he was 17 years old, and his friendship with acclaimed journalist Maria Hinojosa.
You can find more information about “Suave” here.
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Dec 23, 2020 • 1h
The Bells
One in five incarcerated people in the U.S. has tested positive for COVID-19, and here in California, more than 100 people have died in prison. In our final episode of Season 6, we hear three stories from the California outbreaks, and remember the lives of those in the San Quentin community lost to COVID-19.
As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. You can find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a listener-supported network of independent, artist-owned podcasts. To support Ear Hustle directly, go to earhustlesq.com/donate. Thanks so much, and wishing you happy holidays from the whole team.
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Dec 9, 2020 • 52min
The Trail
In 1990, Leonard attacked a female hiker off a trail along the California coast. Three decades later, we hear the rest of the story, and explore what accountability and survival really look like.
Warning: This episode contains a graphic description of a sex crime. Some listeners may want to skip this one.
If you or someone you know have been affected by sexual assault, you can get help by calling the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 800.656.HOPE.
As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Nov 25, 2020 • 45min
Crew No. 7
Incarcerated people have long played an important role in firefighting in California. Now, in the middle of the state’s worst fire season on record, formerly incarcerated people are poised to play more of a role. We visit with a group of men just out of prison who are training to become professional firefighters.
As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com
Get some Ear Hustle masks, shirts, and other merch, now in time for the holidays. 25% of all proceeds go to Mount Tamalpais College (formerly the Prison University Project). Check out our store at earhustlesq.com/shop
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Nov 11, 2020 • 1h 35min
On Stage in Chicago
Back before the pandemic, Nigel and Earlonne joined Jenn White (WAMU’s 1A, formerly WBEZ) on stage in Chicago for a conversation about how Ear Hustle came to be and some of the show’s most memorable moments.
As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Oct 21, 2020 • 44min
Are You Listening?
Incarceration doesn’t just separate a parent from his or her child, it changes that relationship forever, often leaving wounds that may never heal. We talk with kids who have incarcerated parents, as well as a formerly incarcerated mom of four, and hear why sometimes acceptance is the only way forward.
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Oct 7, 2020 • 46min
The Great Ear Hustle Cook Off
For our first-annual Ear Hustle Cook Off, four formerly-incarcerated people replicate meals they used to make inside their cells, using only the tools and ingredients they would have had access to in prison.
Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 23, 2020 • 52min
The Christmas Boxes
Six cubic feet. That’s how much stuff each incarcerated person in California is allowed to have in his or her cell. The few personal objects you keep with you in prison are precious. But what’s left behind can be just as meaningful, as relics of a former life.
Now available on our website: Ear Hustle face masks! Bonus: 100% of profits from merch sales through September 30th will go to the Prison University Project.
Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Sep 9, 2020 • 51min
The Gray Goose
Being incarcerated doesn’t always mean staying in one place. Ear Hustle kicks off Season Six with stories from inside the vans and buses that carry people to and between prisons.
Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
The National Suicide Prevention Line can be reached at 800-273-8255.
Aly Tamboura, who appears in this episode, now works for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which financially supports the production of Ear Hustle.
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