<sod>By the 1960s, Patterson's professional ambitions had turned to writing. Still serving in the navy, he published his literary debut, the poetry collection ''Russia. Africa'' in 1963. Leaving the Soviet Navy, Patterson graduated from the [[Maxim Gorky Literature Institute]] in 1964, drawing inspiration from subjects as diverse as the sea, the beginning of the [[Space Age]], and the racial tension around the time of the [[desegregation]] efforts of the [[civil rights movement in the United States|American civil rights movement]]. Having authored a number of works by the late 1960s, he was admitted as a member of the [[USSR Union of Writers]] in 1967.<eod>
<sod>By the 1960s, Patterson's professional ambitions had turned to writing. Still serving in the navy, he published his literary debut, the poetry collection ''Russia. Africa'' in 1963. Leaving the Soviet Navy, Patterson graduated from the [[Maxim Gorky Literature Institute]] in 1964, drawing inspiration from subjects as diverse as the sea, the beginning of the [[Space Age]], and the racial tension around the time of the [[desegregation]] efforts of the [[Civil Rights Movement]]. Having authored a number of works by the late 1960s, he was admitted as a member of the [[USSR Union of Writers]] in 1967.<eod>