Ear Hustle

This time on Ear Hustle we’re trying something different: we’re diving into San Quentin’s 166-year history. Normally, we get the guys inside to tell stories. But this place itself does speak, and it’s not always through words. A heads-up: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence — listener discretion is advised. Thanks to George “Mesro” Coles-El, Richard Richardson aka Bonaru, John Robb, Norman Willhoite, Gregg Sayers, Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper), Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Clinton T. Duffy for sharing their stories. 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 includes music by David Jassy, with contributions from Antwan WIlliams. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, digital producer is Erin Wade and our executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. We’re grateful to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show. See the photos the guys describe in this episode on our website. You can find out more about the San Quentin Archive project on Nigel’s website, and information about Nigel’s show in Milwaukee through the Milwaukee Art Museum. Plus, learn more about Warden Clinton T. Duffy and check out his book. Thanks to Nectar for supporting this episode. You can find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can also buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Being an immigrant in an American prison can pose unique challenges, like deciding which racial group you’ll identify with. But sometimes the biggest hurdles don’t become apparent until the day you are released. Thanks to Martin Gomez, Miguel Sifuentes, Wayne Boatwright, Phoeun You, David Jassy, Borey Ai (aka PJ) and Marco Villa for sharing their stories with us. And thanks to Jose Diaz, Vicente Gomez and Gerardo Sanchez-Muratalla, the Three Guitarists. 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 was scored with music by David Jassy, with contributions from Antwan Williams. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, digital producer is Erin Wade, and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Thanks also to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can also buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

During a San Quentin lockdown, the prison grinds to a halt, and men are confined to their cells 24 hours a day. On the heels of a summer lockdown, we’re kicking off season three by looking into what causes one, and how guys survive the wait when boredom, uncertainty, hunger and isolation can push them over the edge. A heads-up: this episode contains discussion of suicide and self-harm — listener discretion is advised. You can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Thanks to Michael Williams, Jason Perry, Aaron Taylor, Jessie Vasquez and Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) for sharing their stories with us. Thanks also to Gregg Sayers for performing his song “Lost in Time,” with additional vocals by Eric Abercrombie, aka Maserati E. 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 was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Lee Jaspar, E. Phil Phillips and Earlonne Woods. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, Erin Wade is our digital producer and our executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. We also want to thank Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their continued support of the show. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can now buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your t-shirt! Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Ready for more stories about life inside? We bet. Season three of Ear Hustle drops September 12. In the meantime, enjoy this taste of what’s to come. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, including how to send us a question (by postcard) that might get answered in a future episode. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Leaving an organization or community often calls for an exit strategy – even in prison. In this final episode of season two, four men who are preparing to leave San Quentin share stories about what they’ve learned on the inside, and their aspirations, big and small, for life on the outside. Thanks to Chayne Hampton, Gus Lumumba Edwards, Michael Thompson, and Anouthinh Pangthong, aka Choy, for sharing their stories with us. Learn more about Re:store Justice, the organization that Choy now works for. Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside produce Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams and contributions from David Jassy.  Our story editor is Curtis Fox and our executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Finally, here’s one last shout out to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis, for their support of the show. And… that’s a wrap! For now. Thanks so much for hanging with us through season two; we’ll be back with season three and more stories this fall. In the meantime, stay current on all things Ear Hustle by signing up for up for our monthly newsletter, The Lowdown. Or tell us what you want to hear more about next season, by sending a kite. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Of the thousands of people incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, no one is openly gay. No one. And only a few people are comfortable enough to talk about LGBTQ life inside. In this episode we dive in: Lady Jae returns to talk about living as a woman in SQ, and another inmate, who identifies as bi-sexual, shares his story. Thanks to: Lady Jae and Mike Adams for sharing their perspectives on LGBTQ issues, all the guys who talked to us in the yard, and to White Eagle for telling us about the sweat lodge at SQ, and sharing his friendship song. Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller who comes in to lead the sound design team. *Down Low *was scored and sound designed by Antwan Williams with contributions from David Jassy. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Thanks to Nectar Sleep for supporting the show, thank you for listening, and happy Pride Month! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

San Quentin houses California’s only death row for male inmates. And though it’s technically not far from the media lab, access to this area of the prison is highly restricted. Still, Earlonne and Nigel figured out a way to reach out to the guys there, and interviewed three men about daily life on death row. Thanks to: Kevin Sawyer for recounting his memory of the execution that took place at San Quentin in 1999, Father George Williams and Rabbi Paul Shleffar for sitting down with us in the media lab, Steve Champion, Joseph Manuel Montes and Daniel Wozniak for speaking to us from death row, and Mesro Coles-El for his poem during Count Time. And as always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for supporting the show. Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller who comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored and sound designed by Antwan Williams with contributions from David Jassy. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Thank you for listening. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A “kite” is prison slang for a written note. Since Ear Hustle launched, we’ve encouraged listeners to send in their questions about the show and life inside via postcards, or “kites.” In this episode, Earlonne and Nigel dig into the pile of 1021 (!) postcards that have arrived from all over the world. So many people contributed to this episode: Thanks to all the men in blue and volunteers who tried to guess the most common question we get asked. Thanks to Kevin Sawyer for talking books; Adnan Khan, Eddie Herera, Khalifa Christensen and Shadeed Wallace-Stepter for talking TV; Luke Colondres, Antwan Williams, Kevin Sawyer, Greg Eskridge, E Phil Phillips and Jason Jones for singing TV theme songs; Bruce Brew Fowler for explaining his tattoos; Rodney Card Man Wiley for performing his magic; Maserati E for performing music for us, and big thanks for Officer Girard for being the first Corrections Officer to get on the mic. Now and always: thanks to Lt Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of Ear Hustle. Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored and sound designed with music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams. Our consulting editor is Curtis Fox and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Thanks also to NECTAR Sleep for supporting the show. Find out more at earhustlesq.com, including how to send a kite that might get answered in a future episode — just like this one. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. p.s. That answer to your question about whether we have t-shirts for sale? Yes, we do. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Parenting is never easy, but from prison it's especially challenging. In this episode, incarcerated fathers share their stories of striving to be present in their children's lives. One inmate reconnects with his son after 20 years. Another stays very involved through letters and visits. And a third gets the opportunity to give his teenaged son a haircut.  Thanks to the fathers who shared their stories: Derrick, John and Maverick, and to Derrick Jr. for talking with us.  Thick Glass was scored and sound designed by David Jassy and Antwan Williams, with contributions from Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper), Eric “Maserati E” Abercrombie and Charlie Spencer. You can download Thick Glass here.   Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, including how to send us a question (by postcard) that might get answered in a future episode. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.Find out how Derrick has been doing since this episode originally aired, in the Ear Hustle Plus episode “Thick Glass Reflections.” To listen to all EH+ bonus content, sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Looking good and feeling good matters just as much on the inside, as on the outside. But in prison, you can't just walk to the barbershop, or stop by the store for the products you need, to accomplish either. In this episode, guys share their favorite workarounds that help them feel more human in prison, both physically and mentally. Thanks to David Jassy, Wall Street, Jason Jones, Jesse Vasquez, Andres Yancey, Lady Jae, Eric Durr, Mesro Coles-El and Nicola Bucci for sharing their workarounds. This episode included music by David Jassy, Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) and Antwan Williams. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, including how to send us a question (by postcard) that might get answered in a future episode. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. p.s. Speaking of looking good…have you ordered your Ear Hustle t-shirt yet? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices