Thomas Justinian Kennedy, more commonly known by TJ, grew up in a Northern California small town that is home to the world’s largest corn maze, the longest running fair in the state, a Wal-Mart, and almost a dozen stoplights. He earned his Bachelor’s in 2017 from the University of California, Irvine in creative writing and religious studies. He completed his Master’s in Theology at Loyola Marymount University in 2019, with a focus on comparative theology and a thesis on the Devil in literature. His academic and creative works have appeared in multiple outlets. Previously, he was a Top 25 Finalist for the May/June 2018 Glimmer Train Short Story Award. His first novel, Subprime Faith, is searching for a home.