Ear Hustle

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In prison, "ear hustle" is slang for eavesdropping. The podcast Ear Hustle, a finalist for the inaugural Pulitzer Prize in audio recording, takes listeners inside San Quentin prison. Inmates tell their stories about incarcerated life, whether it’s how they came to reside at the prison, how they get through the days or what happens post-incarceration. Five seasons of the show are available online, and fans (or folks who just want to try the show out) can find past and new episodes at the Ear Hustle website. The episodes are enlightening and also heartbreaking, as each gives an in-depth look at how people behind bars navigate the prison system. The stories are also sprinkled with a kind of commercial where various prisoners talk about the need for books or other lifelines to the outside world. The show is hosted by former San Quentin resident Earlonne Woods, who was incarcerated for 21 years in the prison, and Nigel Poor, a Bay Area visual artist. The podcast has won numerous awards and is a member of PRX’s Radiotopia.

—Tracy Bringhurst

FREE, earhustlesq.com.

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