Ear Hustle
Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
Ear Hustle
Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
Ear Hustle brings you the daily realities of life inside prison shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration. The podcast is a partnership between Nigel Poor, a Bay Area visual artist, and Earlonne Woods, formerly incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, and was co-founded with former San Quentin resident Antwan Williams. The Ear Hustle team works in the San Francisco Bay Area, both in San Quentin State Prison’s media lab and from offices on the outside, to produce stories that are sometimes difficult, often funny and always honest. Episodes offer a nuanced view of people involved with the American prison system and those reintegrating into society after serving time.
Wednesday 11 November 2020 : Back before the pandemic, Nigel and Earlonne joined Jenn White (WAMU’s 1A, formerly WBEZ) on stage in Chicago for a conversation about how...
Wednesday 21 October 2020 : Incarceration doesn’t just separate a parent from his or her child, it changes that relationship forever, often leaving wounds that may...
Wednesday 07 October 2020 : For our first-annual Ear Hustle Cook Off, four formerly-incarcerated people replicate meals they used to make inside their cells, using only...
Wednesday 23 September 2020 : 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...
Wednesday 09 September 2020 : Being incarcerated doesn’t always mean staying in one place. Ear Hustle kicks off Season Six with stories from inside the vans and buses...
Wednesday 22 July 2020 : Ear Hustle will be back with new episodes starting September 9. In the meantime, we talk with people experiencing the COVID-19 outbreak at...
Wednesday 10 June 2020 : Getting out of prison means freedom, but this liberation often comes with caveats. In our final episode of the season, three formerly...
Wednesday 27 May 2020 : Hollywood loves stories about fugitives on the run, but in reality that lifestyle is anything but glamorous, especially for those who get...
Wednesday 13 May 2020 : Every season we answer questions from listeners in our Catch a Kite episode. This time around, formerly incarcerated people lend their...
Wednesday 29 April 2020 : Four women share their stories of loving incarcerated men, and the challenges they face in maintaining their relationships, staying hopeful...
Wednesday 15 April 2020 : One crime is treated differently than all others, both inside and outside prison. People who commit sex crimes against children are often...
Wednesday 01 April 2020 : The relationships between incarcerated people and the correctional officers who guard their prisons are often as bad as you might expect....
Wednesday 18 March 2020 : As the Coronavirus pandemic locks down parts of America and the world, we revisit an episode from 2018 about how the San Quentin community...
Wednesday 04 March 2020 : In prison, almost everyone has a nickname, and whether true or not, nearly every nickname has a story behind it. If that story is good...
Thursday 20 February 2020 : In honor of the launch of “Over the Road,” Radiotopia’s new show about long-haul trucking, Earlonne and Nigel talk with a formerly...
Wednesday 27 November 2019 : Back in 2016, our podcast network, Radiotopia, made the Ear Hustle dream a reality. In honor of Radiotopia’s annual fundraiser, Nigel and...
Friday 15 November 2019 : Surprise! In this season four bonus episode, Earlonne sits down with Ear Hustle co-founder and sound design contributor, Antwan “Banks”...
Wednesday 16 October 2019 : Tom was a cop; Jason was a teenager in a gang. One night in 1997, they had a violent encounter that Tom describes as “inevitable.” In...
Wednesday 02 October 2019 : Historically, death sentences in California have led to eventual execution by the state. But these days, public opinion and state protocol...
Wednesday 11 September 2019 : Sleep, soundtracks and signing in prison — the Ear Hustle crew tackles questions from listeners about these topics and more, in this...
Wednesday 28 August 2019 : Getting a job after serving time is crucial to rebuilding your life, but a criminal record inevitably gets in the way. Four people share...
Wednesday 14 August 2019 : 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...
Thursday 01 August 2019 : 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...
Wednesday 17 July 2019 : 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...
Wednesday 03 July 2019 : 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...
Ear Hustle
Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
On Stage in Chicago
Explicit content
Back before the pandemic, Nigel and Earlonne joined Jenn White (WAMU’s 1A, formerly WBEZ) on stage in Chicago for a conversation about how...
Are You Listening?
Explicit content
Incarceration doesn’t just separate a parent from his or her child, it changes that relationship forever, often leaving wounds that may...
The Great Ear Hustle Cook Off
Explicit content
For our first-annual Ear Hustle Cook Off, four formerly-incarcerated people replicate meals they used to make inside their cells, using only...
The Christmas Boxes
Explicit content
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...
The Gray Goose
Explicit content
Being incarcerated doesn’t always mean staying in one place. Ear Hustle kicks off Season Six with stories from inside the vans and buses...
Ear Hustle Extra: Summer Listening
Explicit content
Ear Hustle will be back with new episodes starting September 9. In the meantime, we talk with people experiencing the COVID-19 outbreak at...
Nobody Comes Back
Explicit content
Getting out of prison means freedom, but this liberation often comes with caveats. In our final episode of the season, three formerly...
Tired of Running
Explicit content
Hollywood loves stories about fugitives on the run, but in reality that lifestyle is anything but glamorous, especially for those who get...
Catch a Kite 5
Explicit content
Every season we answer questions from listeners in our Catch a Kite episode. This time around, formerly incarcerated people lend their...
Hold That Space
Explicit content
Four women share their stories of loving incarcerated men, and the challenges they face in maintaining their relationships, staying hopeful...
Sorry Means Nothing
Explicit content
One crime is treated differently than all others, both inside and outside prison. People who commit sex crimes against children are often...
Us and Them
Explicit content
The relationships between incarcerated people and the correctional officers who guard their prisons are often as bad as you might expect....
Locked Down Again
Explicit content
As the Coronavirus pandemic locks down parts of America and the world, we revisit an episode from 2018 about how the San Quentin community...
Myths & Monikers
Explicit content
In prison, almost everyone has a nickname, and whether true or not, nearly every nickname has a story behind it. If that story is good...
Ear Hustle Extra: In It for the Long Haul
Explicit content
In honor of the launch of “Over the Road,” Radiotopia’s new show about long-haul trucking, Earlonne and Nigel talk with a formerly...
A Message from Ear Hustle
Explicit content
Back in 2016, our podcast network, Radiotopia, made the Ear Hustle dream a reality. In honor of Radiotopia’s annual fundraiser, Nigel and...
Ear Hustle Extra: Antwan Williams, Journeyist
Explicit content
Surprise! In this season four bonus episode, Earlonne sits down with Ear Hustle co-founder and sound design contributor, Antwan “Banks”...
Tell Christy I Love Her
Explicit content
Tom was a cop; Jason was a teenager in a gang. One night in 1997, they had a violent encounter that Tom describes as “inevitable.” In...
Chicken on the Bone
Explicit content
Historically, death sentences in California have led to eventual execution by the state. But these days, public opinion and state protocol...
Catch a Kite 4
Explicit content
Sleep, soundtracks and signing in prison — the Ear Hustle crew tackles questions from listeners about these topics and more, in this...
Life Shows Up
Explicit content
Getting a job after serving time is crucial to rebuilding your life, but a criminal record inevitably gets in the way. Four people share...
Snack Money
Explicit content
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...
Inside Music
Explicit content
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...
I Want the Fairy Tale
Explicit content
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...
Kissing the Concrete
Explicit content
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...
