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 lifelong 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
Lee Child: Fired at 40 and World Famous by 50. Is His Legend Real?
According to Lee Child’s official biography, he was downsized at age 40, spent six bucks on a pencil and pad, and wrote an international bestseller in a year. Was it really that easy?
Daniel Defoe: Robinson Crusoe’s Author Pioneered Two Writing Genres in His 60s
We recognize Daniel Defoe for Robinson Crusoe, which he published at age 59. But this late-blooming author also pioneered the genre known as “faction” when he wrote about London’s Great Plague.
Creative Irish Late Bloomers: The Hidden Archives
Did you realize that many Irish artists started late? A special “hello” to Anne McDonald’s Spring 2020 Portmarnock Artist’s Way Group.
Agatha Christie: Her Brilliant Late-Blooming Encore as an Archaeologist
In her 40s, after a divorce, a breakdown, and a mysterious disappearance, bestselling author Agatha Christie found true love and became an archaeologist.
Susan Boyle: How She Triumphed Over Bullies and Naysayers at Age 48
Susan Boyle made a difficult entrance into the world and life remained hard for her—until that magical night in 2009 when her voice captivated the world.
Lilian Jackson Braun: A Late-Blooming Author and Her Fabulous Feline Detective
Lilian Jackson Braun published her first “A Cat Who…” mystery at 53. Publishers rejected her fourth installment because it lacked sex and violence. But she prevailed!
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