Thalia is a writer, editor, entrepreneur, artist, and teacher with a passion for revolution both within one’s self and out in the world. Identifying as a bisexual, non-binary Zen Buddhist with a flare for the dramatic, in her free time she is also a philosopher, political essayist, traveler, comic artist, martial artist, cosplayer, and avid gardener, and would be happy to talk to you–or your classroom–about any of those things.
Growing up in Des Moines and graduating from high school at the age of 16, Thalia went on to attend the University of Iowa and Columbia University in New York on merit scholarships, achieving a BA in Japanese Language & Literature and an MA in East Asian Studies, respectively. She is also a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course and the Hokkaido International Foundation (HIF).
Like most Millennials, Thalia has multiple jobs. Her primary work is as a freelance editor, where she works on contract to edit and letter the English edition of manga and young adult novels imported from Japan. However, she also pens original action-adventure novels focusing on mental health and featuring LGBT+ and gender-bending protagonists, often in fantasy settings. In the fall of 2019, she will begin a position with DMACC Ankeny as an Adjunct Instructor in the English Department.
She also runs a successful B & B for writers and artists, and can often be found around Des Moines’ entrepreneurial spaces, championing women and anyone who doesn’t fit into the typical narrative of Unicorn entrepreneurship.