Free Daily Podcast Summary
Ear Hustle: Daily Summaries Delivered
by 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.
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- 1 weeks ago43 min
Tricks of the Trade
At North Kern State Prison, incarcerated people are being trained to do what staff cannot: provide peer support, whether it’s with addiction, cellie drama, or just adjusting to prison life. Nigel and Earlonne pay a couple visits, and hit some walls along the way. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Dwight Krisman, and Derrell Sadiq Davis. Big thanks to PIO Lt. Huckleberry and Warden Hixon at North Kern State Prison, as well as PIO Lt. Vogel and Warden De La Cruz at the Central California Women’s Facility, for allowing us to spend time with their peer-support programs. Thanks, as always, to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center and Acting Warden Padilla, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is on the East Coast! Get your tickets at earhustlesq.com/tour. Help us reach 1,000 donors by June 30. Make your gift today at earhustlesq.com/donate. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
- 3 weeks ago41 min
Bag of Skittles
From obsessive body-building to extreme tattoos and other transformations: stories about the ways people in prison think about and try to change their bodies. Plus: “the California body,” explained. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Dwight Krisman, and Derrell Sadiq Davis. Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Padilla, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Vogel at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is coming to the East Coast! Get your tickets at earhustlesq.com/tour. Help us reach 1,000 donors by June 30. Make your gift today at earhustlesq.com/donate. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
- Apr 29, 202642 min
Corny-Ass Episode
Nigel says no matter where you are, everyone has a story to tell about a hug: good, bad, or awkward. Earlonne isn’t buying it. Thanks to Alonzo, Deonza, Harmon, Maurice, Ralph, Carlos, Michael, and Rocky for speaking to us on the yard at San Quentin. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Earlonne Woods, Derell Sadiq Davis, and Bruce Wallace.Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Vogel at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.Ear Hustle is coming to the East Coast! Get your tickets at earhustlesq.com/tour. Help us reach 1,000 donors by June 30. Make your gift today at earhustlesq.com/donate.Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
- Apr 15, 20261h 0m
Revisiting “Chicken on the Bone”
For our latest installment in the ”revisiting” series, Nigel and Earlonne time-travel back to Season 4 and the uncertain futures of men who were living on San Quentin’s now-shuttered death row. Big thanks to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode: Al aka Watson Allison, Abu Qadir Al-Amin, Lt. Sam Robinson, and Lonnie Morris.This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, and Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and a remix of our theme music from listener Ingibjörg Friðriksdóttir.Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of this episode.Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is coming to the East Coast! Get your tickets at earhustlesq.com/tour. 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. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
- Apr 1, 202642 min
My Favorite Color
The last time Domonica saw her dad, he was behind prison glass and she was just six years old. Now, more than two decades later, they’re trying to rebuild their relationship. But a few things stand in the way. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, and Bruce Wallace. Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is coming to the East Coast! Get your tickets at earhustlesq.com/tour. 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. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
- Mar 18, 202646 min
Dear Ear Hustle
The letters come from all over: incarcerated men and women listening to Ear Hustle on their tablets, fans tuning in from as far as Australia and the Philippines. Most of the time, the feedback is positive — but not always. On this first-ever letters episode, we follow up with a few of those listeners. Thank you to Caroline, Gabby, and Jennifer, for talking to us for this episode. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Dwight Krizman, and Bruce Wallace. Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. Don’t miss Ear Hustle Live on tour! Get the scoop at earhustlesq.com/tour. 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. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
- Mar 12, 202647 min
Ear Hustle Presents: Blood Will Tell
Today, we're sharing something a little different in the feed: an episode of the podcast Blood Will Tell. Blood Will Tell chronicles the aftermath of a birthday party in suburban San Jose that turned deadly. Two 18-year-olds were arrested for suspicion of murder. One brother spent nearly two years in jail before the truth came out: Authorities locked up the wrong twin. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime that he didn't commit? Blood Will Tell is a modern-day saga following Vietnamese-American brothers whose unbreakable bond is tested by silence, sacrifice, and an unthinkable choice. You can find more episodes of Blood Will Tell at wondery.com/shows/blood-will-tell. dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
- Mar 4, 202640 min
Songs of San Quentin
From beatboxing, to blues, to a song of praise once heard in the Met Museum, musicians in San Quentin have created some indelible songs. And we have featured a number of them on Ear Hustle. In this episode, Earlonne and Nigel listen back to some of their favorites. You can hear more of the music we’ve featured on Ear Hustle here, and watch Silas Farley’s “Songs from the Spirit” at the Met here. Thank you to Matthew “Redbone” Brown III, Jason “Jukebox” Griffin, Tam Nguyen, the Mexican Nationals Band, David Jassy, Lemar “Maverick” Harrison, Charlie Spencer, and Richie Morris, for playing music for us. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams. Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. 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. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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About Ear Hustle
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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