Stories of adorable children finding the books of their dreams. Inspirational anecdotes about librarians going above and beyond for their patrons. Beautiful tales of the perseverance of an urban library staff getting materials to those at the outer reaches of their county. With social media at hand, we are provided with an overwhelming deluge of amazing stories fed to us all day, and every day, by way of an algorithm designed for us and by us with lazy, nonchalant clicks, hovers, and shares.
But what of the invisible, the forgotten, the controversial, the dangerous, the accused, the convicted, the exonerated, the released? As future information professionals, we would be remiss if we did not explore and expose ourselves to the entire community’s stories. This includes the stories of the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated.
Intrigued? Take a listen to Earhustle.
My local library in Sacramento, California has an inspiring speaker series called “See who enters the chat next”. While the stories offered here all warrant a deep listen, Ear Hustle tugged at my heart. Below you can watch a bit of the November 2023 chat presented by Sac Library, sharing Nigel Poor’s and Earlonne Woods’ podcast, Ear Hustle.
Ear Hustle was birthed in 2017 by artist Nigel Poor and two people who were incarcerated, Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams. The podcast, the first to be started and produced in prison, simply allows those inside prison and those who were incarcerated to share their stories.
Stories of awaiting one’s sentence while bunking with someone about to give birth.
Stories of carving out a home in a Central California Women’s Facility.
Stories of a pride parade in a Norwegian prison.
Stories, that for those of us who are sheltered (through little fault of our own), have never had to consider. But here they are. Waiting for you to listen. Stories have the incredible power to foster our relation to one another as humans and the podcast revolution is making these stories accessible. “Story-based experiences of all kinds can increase listeners’ understanding of diverse groups, demonstrate the value of everyone’s experience, and remind listeners of their shared humanity,” shares Michael Stephens about a library conference presentation he participated in called, “The Power of Stories” (2020, April 9).
Ear Hustle’s “story based experiences” are not stories about the inmates’ crimes for the most part. If you are hoping for the gory details of the true crime ilk, listen elsewhere. Inmates are describing their daily life, wishes, and regrets. Woods started the project to highlight the Three Strikes Law and found his passion for storytelling. Woods was sentenced to 31-years-to-life in 1997. His sentence was commuted in 2018 and he began producing the podcast full time. The subject of episode eight, Curtis Roberts, was not so fortunate. “I’m a stupid idiot who stole some money,” said Roberts who was sentenced to 50-years-to-life for committing three non-violent crimes. His tale of hope can be discovered in, “Left behind.”
“The idea is to never talk about policy, but to tell stories that bring up policy and let people make up their own minds,” relays Poor when discussing the podcast focusing on the Three Strikes Law. As the stories unfold, legal issues arise and are discussed; and yet, they are not the focus.
In another Ear Hustle episode, “Home for Me is Really a Memory,” the hosts allow the subject to tell her story. Serving the most time of any interviewee on the show (50 years), Woods and Poor had to conduct the interview over the telephone. She committed a well-known crime, and still the crime was not the focus; the human was. “We didn’t want the story to be about her crime; we wanted it to be a story about what it is like to be in prison for 50 years. What is your life like?” asked Poor during the Sacramento Library chat.
This episode featured one of Charles Manson’s groomed killers in the seventies, Leslie Van Houten. She said “My favorite thing was to ride on dad’s shoulders. I’m trying not to cry.” She was 19 when she committed her crime. The hosts described, during the Sacramento Library chat, the juxtaposition of listening to a grandmotherly voice over a “tinny line” and then thinking about where she is and what she did so long ago.
Ear Hustle uses sound strategically to carry you along and place you as close as possible to the storyteller–as close as an earbud can bury itself into your ear.
“Ear hustle has been like a window to the world for people,” says Woods in reference to the podcast opening the eyes (or dare I say ears) of a prison commissioner. The commissioner said that listening to the stories shared on the podcast changed how he viewed the prisoners, those of whom were his charge. The commissioner put their lives into context, some gritty and some clear, and gained a better understanding of their lives outside of prison and began to see them more as people.
People with stories.
Thank you to the Sacramento Public Library staff for “curating stories in their many forms,” (Stephens, 2019) for us all to hear.
References:
Earhustle. (2024). https://www.earhustlesq.com/listen
Stephens, M. (2019). Wholehearted Librarianship: Finding Hope, Inspiration, and Balance
Stephens, M. (2020, April 9). Office Hours: The Power of Stories (Part 2). https://287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu/office-hours-the-power-of-stories-part-2/
Oh, the prison commissioner comment rings very true. I know people who have worked in prisons for their entire careers (including one who was the social worker leading therapy groups) who have never once expressed any semblance of compassion or care for the men in their custody. I love that this could open eyes to the real humans they work with every day.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
@emmizo A most powerful post about some very important stories. Thank you!
@michael Thanks!
@emmizo 👍
@emmizo Thank you for this beautifully written post about this incredible podcast. I started listening to Ear Hustle during the first Spring of the pandemic when I was spending a lot of time in my new backyard vegetable garden. I was blown away by the stories and the humanity of it all. A lot of tears watered my vegetables, to be sure.
On a lighter side, I like to cook and loved the episode with the Ear Hustle Cook Off! And I don’t think it’s in an episode, but I also enjoyed that chef/author Samin Nosrat helped Earlonne rework his Chicken and Rice recipe in the NY Times after he was released from San Quentin.