A fascinating account of what prison life is like for incarcerated people, Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods’ This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life is a book inspired by the popular podcast that was produced and recorded within the walls of San Quentin State Prison. Our preconceived ideas of prison are confronted by the exposure of injustices, both large and small-scale, presented throughout the book. This is Ear Hustle creates a welcoming space for a few voices out of the growing population of 2.3 million incarcerated people in the United States.
This book is a testament to the passion and enthusiasm for storytelling possessed by both Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods. The two crossed paths when Nigel Poor, a professor of photography at California State University Sacramento, started volunteering at San Quentin State prison. Volunteering with the Prison University Project, Nigel Poor met many prisoners, but none made quite the impact on her like Earlonne Woods, who was serving a 31-year-to-life sentence. Driven by the desire to convey the concealed life experiences of prisoners, the two authors delve into what life looks like from behind prohibitive prison bars.
With each personal experience of incarceration presented in This Is Ear Hustle, the reader’s understanding of incarceration continuously grows and expands. How much do we really know about the United States criminal justice system? Narration of the uncensored and personal experiences of former and current incarcerated individuals reminds us that the answer to this question is, quite frankly, not all that much. However, the authors utilize this book as a platform to help bridge the gap between those inside and outside of prison.
Every page of personal narrative conveys themes of denying individuality, reflection, resilience, and self-discovery, all of which draw attention to the commonality between those inside and outside of prison. Each narrative is more gripping than the one before it, reminding readers how complicated and diverse all of our life journeys truly are.
I was particularly captivated by the consequential development of our unfortunate and unethical incarceration system. Many of the individuals who told their previously unheard experiences reflect on how their childhoods and upbringings made them feel destined to end up in a prison cell. Needless to say, this book reinforces the idea that the myriad racial injustices that occur daily in the US can no longer hide behind the cold metal bars that target marginalized populations in this country.
The narratives inevitably evoke feelings of dejection and depression, along with humor, self-growth, and compassion, both from the narrators and the readers. Though perhaps unsettling at times, the universal discontent with the criminal justice system and the opportunity to expand our knowledge of it ultimately draw us together. In fact, I initially chose to read This Is Ear Hustle due to my limited knowledge of the experiences of incarcerated individuals. Their stories used to feel so distant to me, but Poor and Woods successfully made the narratives accessible and tangible. People who choose to read this book or listen to the podcast actively bridge this division that undeniably weakens our community. Curiosity and appreciation for different populations strengthen society by dismantling misconceptions. At the risk of sounding cliche, knowledge is power, and This Is Ear Hustle serves as an effective and accessible tool to reveal more knowledge of the unheard voices from those in prison. Read it.
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