late bloomer, n.
1. An adult whose talent or genius in a particular field only appears later in life than is normal—in some cases only in old age. [Wikipedia.com]
2. An adult life-longer learner who doesn’t give a pomegranate about what’s normal and blooms in their own time. [LaterBloomer.com]
Ernestine Shepherd became a professional bodybuilder at 71
Welcome to Later Bloomer
A Captivating Archive of Lives Well-Lived
What’s With Writers and Late Blooming?
According to a recent survey, the average age for authors first published in book form is 42. According to Douglas Adams, the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything is also 42. Coincidence?
Charles Perrault: How He Became Father of the Fairytale at age 69
Charles Perrault spent years as a loyal secretary for the government of King Louis XIV. After he retired, he transcribed his most prestigious work, Tales From Mother Goose.
Mary Norton: This Late-Blooming Author’s Nearsightedness Helped Her Create Tiny Worlds
Mary Norton’s husband shipped out during World War II, leaving her with four children to support. Her writing sustained the imaginations of millions more.
Why Are Some People Late Bloomers?
Are you a late-blooming adult? You’re in remarkable company. Julia Child savored her first French meal at age 36, Bram Stoker published Dracula at 50, and Grandma Moses started painting at 78.
Sue Monk Kidd: Her Late-Blooming Spiritual Quest and The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd published The Secret Life Of Bees at age 53. Her spiritual journey took her from nurse to minister’s wife to writer of fiction and the sacred feminine.
P.D. James: “A writer needs as much trauma as she can take”
P.D. James wrote her first crime novel at age 40 while working for the British home office. Seven more followed before she retired from civil service at 59. She wrote full-time until her death at age 94.
Later Bloomer is no longer publishing. Please enjoy the archives!
There is nothing in the caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.
—Buckminster Fuller,
who patented the Geodesic Dome at age 50