

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

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.
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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

Dec 17, 2018 • 6min
P.S. Asking and Giving
The hosts of this podcast discuss a special bonus episode and share a tape of a chance encounter on the first day out of prison. They also talk about their annual donation drive for Radiotopia, the network that supports their show, and the special hand-illustrated stickers that will be given as gifts to donors.

Dec 12, 2018 • 45min
Bittersweet
In prison, life’s major milestones usually pass at a distance. In our season three finale, Earlonne gets up close to a big one, while his brother’s family struggles with having missed out on too many.A heads-up: This episode contains discussion of suicidal thoughts. Listener discretion is advised. You can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.Thanks to Trevor Woods, Tyra Woodson and Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) for sharing their stories 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 includes music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, E. Phil Phillips, Gregg Sayers, Eric “Maserati E” Abercrombie and Lee Jaspar. And a big end-of-season thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show.Thanks to Nectar for supporting this episode. And lastly — a standing ovation for you, our amazing listeners around the world who have shown so much support for Ear Hustle since day one. We’ll be taking some time to work out what comes next for the show, but rest assured we’ll be back in 2019 and can’t wait to share S4 and beyond with you!Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, and get an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt. 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

Nov 24, 2018 • 5min
Big News: It's Time
Earlonne and Nigel got some big news earlier this week, from the office of California Governor Jerry Brown.
Stay tuned for more information about what’s next for Earlonne, and Ear Hustle, in our next episode.
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