This Is Ear Hustle
Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life
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This Is Ear Hustle
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Written by:
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Nigel Poor
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Earlonne Woods
About this listen
A “profound, sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking” (The New York Times) view of prison life, as told by currently and formerly incarcerated people, from the co-creators and co-hosts of the Peabody- and Pulitzer-nominated podcast Ear Hustle
“A must-read for fans of the legendary podcast and all those who seek to understand crime, punishment, and mass incarceration in America.” (Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black)
When Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods met, Nigel was a photography professor volunteering with the Prison University Project and Earlonne was serving thirty-one years to life at California’s San Quentin State Prison. Initially drawn to each other by their shared interest in storytelling, neither had podcast production experience when they decided to enter Radiotopia’s contest for new shows...and won. Using the prize for seed money, Nigel and Earlonne launched Ear Hustle, named after the prison term for “eavesdropping”. It was the first podcast created and produced entirely within prison and would go on to be heard millions of times worldwide, garner Peabody and Pulitzer award nominations, and help earn Earlonne his freedom when his sentence was commuted in 2018.
In This Is Ear Hustle, Nigel and Earlonne share their own stories of how they came to San Quentin, how they created their phenomenally popular podcast amid extreme limitations, and what has kept them collaborating season after season. They present new stories, all with the same insight, balance, and rapport that distinguish the podcast. In an era when more than two million people are incarcerated across the United States - a number that grows by 600,000 annually - Nigel and Earlonne explore the full and often surprising realities of prison life. With characteristic candor and humor, their moving portrayals include unexpected moments of self-discovery, unlikely alliances, inspirational resilience, and ingenious work-arounds.
One personal narrative at a time, framed by Nigel’s and Earlonne’s distinct perspectives, This Is Ear Hustle reveals the complexity of life for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people while illuminating the shared experiences of humanity that unite us all.
©2021 Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods (P)2021 Random House AudioWhat the critics say
“A Prison University Project professor and a formerly incarcerated man bring together evocative first-person accounts from those who previously served in prison and those who remain there today in a starkly honest series of conversations.” (Newsweek)
“In this unforgettable book, Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods, and a range of fascinating people generously share their prison stories, inviting readers to understand human struggle in an inhumane system via humor, contemplation, and community.” (Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black)
“This Is Ear Hustle is a jewel. Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods are gifted storytellers, and their ability to draw intimate, authentic stories out of others is extraordinary. With grace and humor they walk through what life is really like behind bars, showing the humanity and depth of those they meet inside.” (Catherine Burns, artistic director, The Moth)
What listeners say about This Is Ear Hustle
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gerry Corcoran
- 2022-04-24
Taking You Inside
I've listened to the Ear Hustle podcast since episode 1. I love its method of telling stories of a unique subject and especially, how it humanizes those we often see as just animals locked away. This book expands upon the podcast's premise, going into detail not only about its origins and those of the hosts, but also telling larger versions of some stories from the show, plus a number of new ones.
The stories talk about both people in prison and those who love them and still try to make life work in difficult circumstances, going into depth about the motivations of the subjects and again, really attempts to humanize them. I didn't agree with all the positions taken, but even then, it does a great job of reminding you that there are real people behind all these stories and helps create empathy.
Where I do think the mark was missed a bit was in the delivery. Some of the stories are told by the actual subjects, but others are read by voice actors. Nothing wrong with that except the delivery (which is often in an interview style) comes across as flat and stilted sometimes, very much like the two people in the conversation were recording at different times. Some of these segments don't sound natural and very much like they're just reading off a script. I know that this was done during COVID times and that many of the readers aren't professionals at it, but this still diminished the experience some.
It's hard after reading this and listening to the podcast to not strong feeling about just how screwed up and inhumane the North American prison system is. People who commit crimes should be punished, but our society treats these people like animals, just kicks them out with nothing when their sentences are up, and then wonders why so many reoffend. Hearing this will give you a much clearer understanding of that and I think for that reason alone, a lot of people should take this in.
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