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 poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, and graphic narratives. Her authors have been recognized by the National Book Awards, the National Book Critics Circle Awards, the Carnegie Medal, and other national accolades.

Alyssa has taught college-level creative writing and literature courses, including Asian American & Pacific Islander literature. In addition to her editorial position, she has taught 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.