Janis Hallowell is a writer, climate advocate, ceramic artist, and farmer. She does these things from a ten acre farm north of Boulder at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Her published novels are The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn ( Wm. Morrow/HarperCollins) and She Was ( Wm. Morrow/HarperCollins).

She writes about human conditions within and without, through tales that arise from her unflinching perception of the world in its current culmination. The narratives are startling and wise; tender and tough; and at times laugh-out-loud funny.

“Hallowell writes with great compassion about the heart of the heart of our country and our culture.”
—John Nichols, Author of The Milagro Beanfield War 

Since 2017 Janis has made the climate crisis a priority. She believes that nothing is more important than humanity finding a way through climate devastation. In Colorado, where the air is full of toxic chemicals from fracking, that means advocating for the phasing out of oil and gas and transitioning to clean energy. To that end, she has served on boards of directors and has generated and championed a state bill that was signed into law in 2023 allowing Colorado State University to study Biochar Well Plugging, the plugging of leaking oil and gas wells using biochar. The study proved the concept and as of 2025, in spite of federal withdrawal of funds, Janis is working to find funding and more legislation to implement this technology that will sequester significant carbon while also safely plugging millions of leaking or abandoned wells across the country.

Janis regularly retreats from the fray to her clay studio on the farm where she uses her 50 plus years of experience as a potter to make earthenware majolica serving ware. In the shapes of platters, teapots, cups, and bowls, she finds peace and a never-ending fascination with containing space in the round. If you’re curious go to instagram @figpottery to see the work.