Award-winning author finds inspiration in Valley veterans
By MARISA MATA, Student Writer
After opening an art gallery, Janice Stevens (1993) re-enrolled at Fresno State and obtained her master’s degree while running her own business. After getting her master’s, Stevens went into teaching and pursued her passion for writing. She is now an award-winning author with a magazine column and nine published books.
Seven of the books that Stevens has written include elements of history and memoir, and feature watercolor illustrations from her business partner, Pat Hunter, an accomplished artist.
“My collaboration with my business partner…is probably the most exciting aspect of my work…Pat and I have co-owned Gallery II for more than 35 years and continue to work together not only at the business, but collaborating on our books and magazine column as well.”
When Stevens isn’t writing, she teaches. She began teaching at community colleges over 20 years ago, and currently teaches writing classes for veterans in Clovis. She has drawn from the veterans’ experiences to write two books in a collection, entitled Stories of Service.
“That, perhaps, is the most rewarding class I teach. However, the reality is the veterans teach me more than I could ever teach them in terms of heroism, courage and patriotism,” Stevens says.
Stevens was awarded the Crystal Award from Clovis Unified School District as well as the Certificate of Award for Women in American History from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution for her publications and work with veterans. She was also nominated for the Clovis Hall of Fame in 2010.
“I would have to say my greatest accomplishment in regards to my writing is that writing provides me with what humbles me most — that is working with writers, especially my veterans, who trust me to share their dreams, their tragedies and their successes.”
Stevens is currently working on her tenth book, South — the third volume in her collection An Artist and a Writer Travel Highway 1.
“I’ve always liked to write,” she says. “I would write [even] if I didn’t have an audience, because writing is what I am driven to do.”
