Raymond R. Patterson
(1929–2001)

The poetry of Raymond R. Patterson explores African American life in the U.S. and is especially reflective of the social climate of the 1950s and 1960s. Born and raised in New York City, Patterson published his first collection of works, Twenty-Six Ways of Looking at a Black Man and Other Poems, in 1969. His later works include the poetry collection Elemental Blues (1983), a book-length poem on the life of enslaved African poet Phillis Wheatley, and two opera librettos. In all of his works, Patterson explored the various roles of African Americans in the arts and in American society in general.

During his career, Patterson taught in a variety of schools including the New York City public schools, Benedict College, and City College of the City University of New York. Among his numerous awards are the City College Langston Hughes award and the James Madison University Furious Flower Lifetime Achievement award in literature.

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