![A civilian man interviewing a veteran, a picture of a book titled "1000 Words: Stories from the VA’s My Life, My Story Project"](/sites/www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/files/styles/small/public/2025-06/1000wordsweb.jpg.webp?itok=Xg77ekU9 "A civilian man interviewing a veteran, a picture of a book titled "1000 Words: Stories from the VA’s My Life, My Story Project"")
Join us for a conversation on the healing effect of telling one's story and how stories can help humanize medical care.
Since 2013, writers from the VA's My Life, My Story Project have asked more that 9,000 Veterans at VA hospitals around the United States to tell their life stories. With the Veteran's permission, those stories go into the Veteran's medical record so that VA health care providers can read them and get to know their patients better.
Our panel will feature:
- Thor Ringler: Writer-Editor with My Life, My Story
- Jennifer "Jenn" Sluga: Army Kosovo Veteran and MST Survivor
- William "Bill" Schrum: Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran
- Dr. Liana Eskola: Madison VA Palliative Care Provider
- Leah Mushall: UW Medical Student
A Q&A moderated by Dr. Colin Gillis will follow the panel discussion.
1,000 Words: Stories from the VA's My Life, My Story Project, is the title of a book which shares the stories of 15 Veterans. 1,000 Words will soon be available as a book club discussion kit.
The My Life, My Story Project began in Madison, WI, at the William S. Middleton VA Hospital and has been adopted in over 80 VA hospitals around the country.
You can read a digital copy of 1,000 Words: Stories from the VA's My Life, My Story Project at this link (PDF)