Bill Owens jumped to fame as a photographer with the publication of his book Surburbia in 1972. Owens had taken up photography while working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, and when he returned to America, he took a visual anthropology course in San Francisco.



Bill Owens jumped to fame as a photographer with the publication of his book Surburbia in 1972. Owens had taken up photography while working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, and when he returned to America, he took a visual anthropology course in San Francisco.

Leisure: Bill Owens
Bill Owens, b1938, jumped to fame as a photographer with the publication of his book Surburbia in 1972. Owens had taken up photography while working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica, and when he returned to America, he took a visual anthropology course in San Francisco. He was particularly impressed by the work of the 1930s documntary photographes of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) including Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange.
From 1967 he worked for the local newspaper in Livermore near San Francisco, taking pictures of the people in this new and growing suburban area. During the week he shot on 35mm for the paper and at weekends he often went back to photograph some of the same people for his personal project, shot on a Pentax 6x7 or Brooks Veriwide 6x9 (he also advertised to find subjects, and others were relatives and friends.) He worked with people in their homes or in front of their properties, sometimes arranging them carefully but working in a documentary manner using black and white film. Although the images often contained their own deadpan (and sometimes frightening) humour, the addition of comments by subjects added another dimension.

Although Owens continued to take photographs, his main interest shifted elsewhere. In 1982 he founded Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, California, which he operated until 1996, and he also founded and published American Brewer magazine.

The show Leisure, at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York from Dec 10. 2004 to Feb 27, 2005, was mostly taken between 1968 and 1980, and shows in both black and white and colour the same middle-class suburban Americans working at their leisure activities - shopping, eating, sports and even photography. This was work for a fouth book that Owens was hoping to publish before he moved to brewing.

When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

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December 25, 2004: This Week's Top Stories Soldiers of Peace 23 Dec Nepal RPCV discovers new species of catfish 23 Dec Tom Murphy will not seek 4th term as Pittsburgh mayor 22 Dec Richard Celeste is spicing things up 22 Dec Gov. Jim Doyle streamlines state government 22 Dec Namibia Volunteers sworn in 21 Dec RPCV serves as Ukraine election observer 21 Dec Christmas Gifts for Peace Corps Volunteers 21 Dec Estonia RPCV John Isles wins NEA poetry award 21 Dec Director Vasquez decries racism and discrimination 20 Dec RPCV criticizes "harrassment by Russian government" 20 Dec War's horrors turn RPCV's son into pacifist 19 Dec more top stories...

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Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.

Your vote makes a difference Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

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