Activists

When Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor came up with the idea for Ear Hustle, the podcast they’ve hosted together since 2017, Earlonne was serving a prison sentence of 31 years to life—the result of California’s three-strikes law. The two met at San Quentin State Prison where Nigel, a lifelong artist and photographer, was volunteering in the media center. For 13 seasons, Earlonne and Nigel have been sharing the experiences of those living life on the inside—“ear hustling” is prison slang for eavesdropping—and in the process have exposed listeners to countless characters, illuminating perspectives, and new depths of empathy and understanding. In 2018, Earlonne’s sentence was commuted and he’s since continued creating Ear Hustle with Nigel as a free man. A fitting testament to the immense power of storytelling.

Earlonne and Nigel spoke with The Great Discontent about their collaboration, process, and ambitions.