Midnight Sunshine
By Kelvin L. Reed
Nathan Patterson, an African-American accountant has been unsuccessful in love, and answers an ad for international pen pals. He soon meets Marife, a poor young lady in the Philippines. After corresponding for a while, Nathan visits Marife and her family. The two fall madly in love and decide to marry. Marife lives with Nathan’s parents until their wedding day.

One of the stipulations of her coming to the United States is that she and Nathan must marry within 90 days, or she has to return to her native land.The couple must deal with false accusations being leveled against Nathan; and even a close call, when Marife is accosted in a public restroom. Midnight Sunshine, patterned after the author’s own life, is actually a breath of fresh air! We here at Blackrefer.com asked Mr. Reed to grant us an interview. Read it below:  (December 2003 interview)

DT:  I know that you visited the Philippines. Please tell our readers how long it took for your research there.
KLR:  I visited the Philippines during the spring of 1994 and stayed for eight days. As I wrote "Midnight Sunshine," I relied on the memories from my visit as I developed the personality of the female central character and the subtext of her life in the Philippines.

DT:  The letters were very powerful and gave readers an inside look at your characters’ thoughts. Did you anticipate that response?
KLR:  Yes and no. "Midnight Sunshine" is a story told from Nathan’s (the male central character) point of view. In fact, the female central character, Marife (pronounced Ma-ri-FA), doesn’t arrive in the U.S until about a third of the way into the book. I wanted to reveal more her thoughts and give her a voice, so I wrote scenes throughout "Midnight Sunshine" in which Nathan read her letters. I was pleased that several readers have declared how much they enjoyed Marife’s letters.

DT:  Since you met your wife through an international pen pal agency, did you experience any of the difficulties with the red tape, as did Nathan and Marife?
KLR:  It took longer to bring my then fiancé to the United States than we had anticipated. Actually, the red tape on the American side wasn’t too bad. Most of the delays occurred due to the iceberg-slow pace of the bureaucracy in the Philippines and a paperwork oversight on my betroth’s part.

DT:  Your scenes are so vivid, especially the restroom encounter between Marife and her accuser. Was this a real occurrence? Or just a creative twist?
KLR:  LOL! The latter. In real life my wife and I have experienced nothing but total acceptance from our families, friends, acquaintances—and even strangers. People can’t help but respect a (now) middle-age couple married for nearly nine years who still carry on like newlyweds.

DT:  What has the response been to "Midnight Sunshine"?
KLR:  The response has been 100% positive. In fact, African American women have written my most glowing reviews.

DT:  Who are some of your favorite authors? Why?
KLR:  Truth be told, I almost never read a second book from the same author. However, one of the few authors whose work impressed me so much that I read another of his books after reading the first was the late journalist Randy Shilts. He wrote "And the Band Played On" and "Conduct Unbecoming." Shilts possessed unique talents as a writer. He turned two pieces of nonfiction into gripping page-turners.

DT:  What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
KLR:  LOL! What spare time? Actually, I enjoy watching old movies, especially if they’re in black-and-white (I’m fascinated by the lighting schemes). My wife and I don’t get out and paint the town red much these days, so we pop popcorn and catch old movies on TCM. We just can’t get enough of Robert Mitchum or Bette Davis. Just recently we watched Dorothy Dandridge in "Carmen Jones." A terrific film—even though it was in color. LOL!

DT:  What’s next for Kelvin L. Reed?
KLR:  I’m more than halfway finished writing my third novel. It’s a unique work tentatively entitled "A Distinction Without a Difference," about an African American couple who face harassment and threats after they take their children out of an Afrocentric charter school that teaches bigotry toward others. I expect to finish the manuscript by the summer of 2004.

DT:  Any parting words of wisdom?
KLR:  I encourage everyone to pursue his or her ambitions, whether they’re personal or professional. You don’t want to be a retiree feeling regret that you didn’t take a shot at achieving your dreams. I'm honored that you have chosen to interview me.

DT:  On behalf of Blackrefer.com I’d like to thank you for your time. You have our love and respect!


Kelvin L. Reed holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. He and his wife live near Boston, Massachusetts. Visit him at: http://www.peraltapub.com/