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
Sep 11, 2019 • 32min
Catch a Kite 4
Sleep, soundtracks and signing in prison — the Ear Hustle crew tackles questions from listeners about these topics and more, in this season’s “Catch a Kite” episode. Plus, we’ll share some of our favorite listener-generated Ear Hustle theme remixes. Spoiler alert: harps ahead.
Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Lantigua Williams & Co. and BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode.
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Aug 28, 2019 • 38min
Life Shows Up
Getting a job after serving time is crucial to rebuilding your life, but a criminal record inevitably gets in the way. Four people share stories about how their time inside both helped prep them for jobs outside and impacted their getting back to work.
Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also download and remix our theme song (remixes are due Aug. 31, so get yours in soon!!), sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Lantigua Williams & Co. and Audible for sponsoring this episode.
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Aug 14, 2019 • 41min
Snack Money
Running a prison takes a lot of work, and not just by the staff running the place. At San Quentin inmates work regular jobs, earn pennies on the hour and often supplement their income with a side hustle.
Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also download and remix our theme song (do it!), sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
Thanks also to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Article, Lantigua Williams & Co. and Native for sponsoring this episode.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Aug 1, 2019 • 45min
Inside Music
I think we can all agree: It’s high time we devoted a full episode to the music of San Quentin.
Thanks to all of the musicians who talked with us for this episode, and shared their songs. Find a full list of credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also download and remix our theme song (do it!), sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
Thanks also to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Article and Lantigua Williams & Co. for sponsoring this episode.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Jul 17, 2019 • 42min
I Want the Fairy Tale
How does dating work in your 30s when you’ve been locked up since you were 15? How soon do you share your incarceration history with new love interests? And how the hell does online dating work? Recently released men and women muse about all of it, and one former San Quentin inmate tries to make a beeline from the gates to the altar.
Thanks to Article and the American Red Cross for sponsoring this episode.
For a full list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Jul 3, 2019 • 30min
Kissing the Concrete
Serving a prison sentence is hard, but getting out isn’t exactly a cakewalk, either. A lot depends on who’s waiting for you, what you have lined up on the outside and how you handle the regular pressures of life after incarceration.Thanks to Article and the American Red Cross for sponsoring this episode.For a full list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Jun 20, 2019 • 36min
Respect the Paper
Hardly anyone writes letters anymore. On the streets it’s all texting, posting, sharing and liking. But in prison, pens, paper, envelopes and stamps are highly prized, and still considered an essential lifeline to the outside world.Thanks to Article for sponsoring this episode.For a full list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Jun 5, 2019 • 35min
Excuse Me on the Tier
Ear Hustle is back with season four! Let’s get oriented: to a new format and a new inside host, and through the stories of guys learning the prison ropes in Reception, while they wait to find out where they’ll serve their time.
A heads-up: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence. Listener discretion is advised.
Thanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring this episode.
For a full list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
May 29, 2019 • 4min
Season four preview
Ear Hustle is back with season four, starting June 5. Mark your calendars and tell your friends!
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Jan 16, 2019 • 14min
Road Trip
Ear Hustle will return with season four later this year, but in the meantime, here’s a timely bonus episode. Nigel and Earlonne hit the road and drive south to interview the man who commuted Earlonne’s sentence in November: Governor Jerry Brown.
Thanks to Governor Jerry Brown and Evan Westrup, Governor Brown’s press secretary, for sitting down with us.
Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode included music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams. And, a big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their continued support of the show.
Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, including where to get one of our awesome mugs. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
