Thor Ringler works as a writer/editor at the Madison VA Hospital where he manages the My VA, My Story project. My VA, My Story team members interview veterans about their life stories, write up narratives based on the interviews, revise the stories with veteran input, add them to the electronic medical record, and share the stories with the veteran's care team. The aim of the project is to foster a closer connection between VA providers and the veterans in their care.
He started writing poetry again after a 5 year vacation to graduate school and is inspired by the stories of the veterans he interviews. Most of his poems are about these interviews. He states, “I'm very honored to be able to listen to other people's stories, to do my best to write their stories, and to share them with others."
Ringler has an MFA in Poetry from the University of Pittsburgh, and an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Edgewood College, and lives in Madison. His wife April is an art teacher with the Madison Schools. His son Fritz is entering high school this fall and his daughter Archie will be in seventh grade. His family is the most important thing in his life. He is currently working on a collection of poems and stories related to his work at the VA.
