“Illuminating the medical and social issues for people of all walks of life.”
—Fazlur Rahman
A member of the Writers’ League since 2022, Fazlur lives in the San Angelo, TX area.
Scribe: Welcome, writer! Tell us — what do you write?
Fazlur Rahman: Articles, essays and stories on medical, ethical, social, health care and personal issues.
Scribe: If you could choose one author to blurb your book, who would it be, and what would you want it to say?
FR: Among other authors, famous Mayo Clinic brain surgeon and the author of the well-known book, Becoming Dr. Q: My Journey from Migrant Farm Worker to Brain Surgeon, has given the following blurb for my book, Our Connected Lives: Caring for Cancer Patients in Rural Texas. “Dr. Rahman takes us on a journey of resilience, love, and empathy. He has the ability to see light when many of us would see only darkness while caring for patients with cancer. This book shows us that not only are we all connected but also we walk together on the path of our lives. Moreover, he teaches us that empathy and hope are the most powerful tools we have to help our patients when they are most vulnerable, and that showing dignity to our patients is an integral part of care. This is a must-read!”
Scribe: You have one book you’re allowed to push onto all of your friends, and they’re forced to read it to remain your friend — which one would you choose?
FR: We Were Illegal: Uncovering a Family’s Mythmaking and Migration, by Jessica Goudeau. She is a Texas author from Abilene. It’s a well-written book that dispels the false narratives of Texas mythmaking and migration.
Scribe: Tell us your WLT story.
FR: Classes; A & E, an egalitarian program; and attending a meeting of Agents and Editors.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
FR: In nonfiction: Illuminating the medical and social issues for people of all walks of life. In fiction: I have also published short stories, and have completed a novel, Wedding Song.
Scribe: Here at the WLT, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one book that has come out within the past few years that you couldn’t put down? (Bonus points if the book is Texas related!)
FR: One Like: SILENCE. A poetry collection with touching poems of introspection, by Chris Ellery, an accomplished poet. He is from San Angelo, Texas.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
FR: Fazlur Rahman was born and brought up in what is now Bangladesh. After his medical education in Dhaka, New York, and Houston, he practiced cancer medicine for thirty-five years in San Angelo, Texas. He is an adjunct professor of biology (medical humanities and ethics) at Angelo State University, a senior trustee of Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and an advisory council member of the Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
His writings on medical, ethical, social, and scientific issues have appeared in many national and international publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Guardian Weekly, International Herald Tribune, Haaretz, Indian Express, Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, Harvard Review, Short Story International, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Oncologist, and Lancet. Two of his essays were selected as the “Notable Essays,” and another of his essays from the New York Times was anthologized in a college textbook.
His cultural and medical memoir, The Temple Road: A Doctor’s Journey, published in 2016, tells about his upbringing and training years, his move to a new country, and his life and practice in West Texas. His next book, Our Connected Lives: Caring for Cancer Patients in Rural Texas, was published by the Texas Tech University Press on October 29, 2024. It has garnered good reviews and blurbs. He and his wife, Jahanara (Ara), have lived there for most of their lives and have raised four children. They love walking in nature and going on wildflower adventures.
Please look at my website: fazlurrahmanmd.com for my books and publications, and about Ara and me.
Scribe: Let us know any social media handles you have!
FR: Instagram: @pageonem.