Steven M. Buechler

I had a 31-year career teaching sociology at Minnesota State—Mankato. During that time, I published seven academic books on women’s movements, social movement theory, and critical sociology. As I was planning a final year of teaching before retirement, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in the summer of 2016. I spent that final year on sick leave being successfully treated for my disease with a stem cell transplant. During my lengthy treatment and recovery, I recorded my experience in over 60 long form emails to family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. With the addition of a preface on lessons learned and an epilogue on identity transformation, those reports became a book titled How Steve Became Ralph. Unlike my academic writing, this is a personal account of what it is like to cope with a life-threatening illness. It charts my course from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and survival. All things considered, mine is a positive and optimistic account of resilience and perseverance that finds me cancer-free more than two years after my transplant. As an account of battling illness, this book will appeal to all members of the cancer community. As an account of personal transformation, it will resonate with the broader reading public as well. For more information on the book and my activity in the cancer community, visit my website at www.stevebuechlerauthor.com. Some early reviews: “Buechler transforms a devastating cancer diagnosis into a literary quest infused with intelligence, mindfulness, humor, and hope.” —Carolyn Redman, Author of News From Lake Woebegone “Steve Buechler’s How Steve Became Ralph is an unusual cancer memoir as it's not about death and dying rather about living and thriving. A compelling read!” —Simi K. Rao, Physician and Author