Jan Smitowicz

Jan Smitowicz is a prison survivor, vegan, longtime social justice activist, and the proud father of a vasectomy. He is the author of the novels Orange Rain and Redwood Falls, and the prison memoir Rebel Hell: Disabled Vegan Goes to Prison.

Jan attended the University of California, Irvine and managed to secure a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, even though he spent a large portion of his classes writing or reading in bed. He participated in volunteer Katrina relief work in New Orleans on two separate trips; these experiences shaped much of his worldview. Jan's work is filled with dark, twisted humor, an uncompromising devotion to brutal honesty, compelling plots, and fascinating characters who are flawed in ways deeply human.

Smitowicz published his first piece of writing at just 10 years of age. It was a scathing but ultimately redemptive examination of his childhood dog Buster. Copies were sold to friends and classmates for $5 each in fake money.

Jan's writing has appeared in numerous publications, including the Louisiana English Journal, the Earth First! Journal, and Green Theory and Praxis Journal; his narrative nonfiction piece, "Undercover in Dairy Land, CA"--about some of his experiences as an undercover animal cruelty investigator--was the cover story for The Animals' Voice magazine in September 2013. He has published the novels Orange Rain and Redwood Falls.