Soul On Ice By Eldridge Clever
... ”(37,38) So begins the second essay in Eldridge Cleaver’s book entitled Soul On Ice. ... Soul on Ice is a collection of essays written by an angry black militant-convict in the 60’s, attempting to grasp hold of what is taking place in the outside world. ... To discuss Soul on Ice in any other format than breaking down the individual sections would be a difficult task due to the way the book itself is structured, and the vast differences between these sections. The first section, entitled ‘Letters From Prison’ is a collection of letters written by Eldridge Cleaver that lay the groundwork for the rest of the novel and the way then author views the world. ... In his own admittance Clever, “…cursed everything American-including baseball and hot dogs. ... In the final section of Soul on Ice many questions are answered in the form of an older inmate. ... Cleavers realization of these ideas is a fitting close to his nine-year soul search of what he sees around him. Soul on Ice is a brilliant depiction of a man’s view of the world, and the way history’s events shaped and change these views. Eldridge Cleaver was released from prison in 1968 and went on to become a prominent figure in the civil-rights movement as one of the key figures of the Black Panther party. ... Sadly Eldridge Cleaver died in 1998 from unknown causes. A great mind has been lost, but Soul on Ice will always be available to enlighten anyone interested in a first hand account of the civil rights movement of the 60’s.