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]
2. A person who doesn’t give a pomegranate about what’s normal and blooms in their own time; see LaterBloomer.com. [Debra Eve]
Ernestine Shepherd became a professional bodybuilder at 71
Welcome to Later Bloomer
A Captivating Archive of Lives Well-Lived
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.
John Muir: This Late-Blooming Naturalist Could Have Been The Father of Steampunk
We remember John Muir for his fierce devotion to nature, not the wacky clockwork machines he refused to patent because he wanted everyone to benefit. Like many late bloomers, he possessed wide-ranging passions.
Kenneth Grahame: The Late Bloomer Behind The Wind in the Willows
His life was touched by tragedy from an early age. Yet he retained a sense of joy and nostalgia, and wrote one of the most beloved children’s tales of all time.
Why Amerigo Vespucci Recognized a New World (and Columbus Missed Out)
If you count historical success by cities and controversy, Columbus has the edge. But if you liken it in square miles, late bloomer Amerigo Vespucci wins by two continents!
Edith Wharton: Downton Abbey Dropout, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Late Bloomer
Edith Wharton published her first book at age 35, a decorating guide for the rich. A quarter century later, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer.
Telling Life’s Stories by Lynne Strang (Guest Post)
Later Bloomers make excellent personal historians. As their awareness of time’s fleeting nature increases, so does an interest in capturing and preserving life memories.
Later Bloomer is currently on hiatus. 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