Lew Wallace: The Victorian Forrest Gump Who Wrote Ben-Hur
Lew Wallace was the 19th century’s real-life Forrest Gump: Savior of a president, advisor to a sultan, scourge of an outlaw named Billy the Kid. And at age 53, he wrote Ben-Hur.
People Who Bloomed in Their Fifties
Bram Stoker Wrote Dracula at Age 50. Was It Inspired by His Soul-Sucking Boss?
Why am I so obsessed with Bram Stoker and Dracula? The sad truth — I spent too many years too afraid to ditch a series of soul-sucking jobs. But at least Bram had a creative solution!
Charles Darwin: He Published His Masterwork at Age 50 but Scholars Still Call Him a Procrastinator
Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species at age 50, after waiting more than two decades. Biographers have called this his “great procrastination.” Was it really?
Liz Smith: “I’ve never considered a facelift because I earn my living by looking old”
Liz Smith (not the gossip columnist) is a beloved English character actor who got her first break at age 50 and went on to co-star with Johnny Depp and Patrick Stewart.
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.
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.