I and Eye

While still a prep school student, Peter Simon began his career in photojournalism with Kennedy's assassination and civil rights rallies. College brought love-ins, draft card burnings, and the counterculture scene into his viewfinder, as Simon photographed Jack Kerouac's funeral, the tent civil rights gathering in Washington, DC, Abbie Hoffman, and other events and personalities. Tired with city life, Simon then joined the "back to the earth" movement, living on a commune in Vermont. He became intrigued by the "New Age" and studied with Ram Dass, then developed a fascination with reggae music and Jamaican culture, which led him to Bob Marley and other reggae stars. At the 1978 "No Nukes" concert, Simon captured images of rock stars including James Taylor, his sister Carly Simon, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. In this volume, Simon's images are supplemented by an entertaining autobiographical text, including excerpts from his personal journals.