Originally from southern California, she received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Oregon, and works as an editor for Tin House in Portland, Oregon, where she acquires in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and graphic narratives.

Alyssa has taught college-level creative writing and literature courses, including Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature at Portland Community College. In addition to her editorial position, she currently teaches for the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop. A recipient of an Elizabeth George Foundation grant and an Oregon Literary Fellowship, Alyssa is at work on her first collection of poetry: a re-imagined history of the American West Coast through the lens of the Asian Pacific diaspora.