grew up in a small town in North Dakota. At the age of sixteen, when his parents decided to become missionaries, Itrich found himself in a private boarding school near Nairobi. Three months and numerous demerits later, he returned stateside where he finished high school.
After graduation, he headed for Seattle Pacific University in Seattle. Walt left SPU in the spring of 1973 to sign with a gospel-music company in Los Angeles. Itrich toured the United States and Europe with one of the company's rock bands, and wrote and recorded songs used by the company.
Then in 1975, Walt was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. He took a leave of absence from touring and lived in the Netherlands where he worked in Dutch radio and television.
After a return to touring for two more years, he left the road and accepted a position as public relations man for a college in Seattle, WA. Leaving Seattle in 1984, he returned home to North Dakota, where he turned to writing. In addition to magazine articles and local-theatre reviews, Itrich self-published a booklet, MS Victim or Victor, detailing his philosophy on living with disability.
Walt's essays and articles have been seen in periodicals from Malibu, CA to
New York, as well as the Internet. His current book, WE'RE THE PEOPLE, TOO, was
released by Champion Press in June 2001.
Currently, Itrich lives in a college town in North Dakota. With a degree in Social Sciences from the local university, he is actively involved in political affairs concerning disability rights.
