Books & Media

This story, told in great, vignettic gulps of time from childhood to adulthood, is a true story, part memoir, part historical commentary -- a Black man's voice over seven decades. Cleve has written about his search to find that elusive "Gold Ring," his place on his island and in his less-than-perfect world. It is a commentary on the historical gaps and inaccuracies of an island community and its social issues, of how the author coped with systemic racism and managed to make the system work for him. The author's rage and frustration were channeled into artistic pursuits and writings, bringing this story into the light from a darkened box of oblivion. The niche he found himself in, Staten Island, remains a microcosm or American society, and his experiences will be familiar to many Black American men. His life-lessons offer food for thought for Americans everywhere.

A series of stand-alone essays on topics the author was compelled to explore about his “Struggle Island,” where he was born and raised and left behind for other cities, countries and continents. Cleve’s words: “One does not necessarily have to finish a book because it’s impossible to end a story of human life and that’s what this is about. Ask any octogenarian and you will hear of the messiness of our brains. How can I explain the fascination with an era that many islanders cannot possibly remember, and many do not like to have their historical narratives messed with. The editing, rewriting, new political correctness, multitasking over the years, to give this book logic and shape, took a great deal of good luck and hardcore resilience. At times, I am caught in my own mental morass trying to right the wrongs of my early life, the ugly moments and regrets of the past that I continue to find hard to live down. Friends ask, “What’s the point?” and never find my version of existentialist philosophy of personal liberation. Being a Black man, my rage and despair accumulate with nowhere to go. Nelson Mandela said, “If you don’t leave the bitterness behind, you will still be in prison.” Even though racism intrudes on everything, I will continue to write.”