by George Lubitz
Welcome back! Spring is in bloom. It’s been a little while since we’ve last touched base on all topics blooming-related, so allow us to do some housekeeping and bring you up to speed.
If you haven’t already read about it, we’ve got a brand new feature this month called Go Figure. In it we discuss the many links literature and science and mathematics share. As this regular feature continues to bloom and develop, our staff writer Susan Sechrist will dive deeper into revealing the naturally creative aspects of science—as well as the mathematical, analytical thinking that goes into producing good fiction.
From May 5-7th The Muse and the Marketplace Conference will be held in Boston. Muse and the Marketplace is a three-day conference for aspiring writers to learn more about the crafts of fiction and non-fiction writing, understand the shifting landscape of publishing, and network with established authors and agents. Our very own Sonya Chung will be a speaker at one of the events, where she’ll be discussing the diverse paths toward publishing.
We at Bloom are a little obsessed with The Voice—and for good reason! There are a TON of amateur singers who take the stage at an older age, in an industry that is arguably tougher than any for 40 & overs. Contestant Josh Hoyer (and definitely soon-to-be professional Bloomer-singer) sang Ace Chi-Lites’ “Oh Girl” on a recent episode. You can watch it here.
Comedian Jimmy Carr was on BBC Radio recently, where he discussed his upbringing and decision to pursue comedy. Noted for being the “King of Inappropriate,” Carr is as outrageously funny as he is apt to push the envelope. In this episode of “Desert Island Disks,” the comedian discusses how his unorthodox career path stemmed from abandoning his Catholicism, battling depression, and his unrelenting work ethic. After studying political science at university and working for a major multinational company in London, Carr moved to a career in comedy at age 26, relatively late for standup comedians. It’s a seriously funny and oft-times heartening hour of radio—give it a listen!
We often speak of blooming in terms of career choices and creative awakenings, but a recently published article in The Guardian titled “How Oldies Became the Latter-day Teenagers” discusses how baby boomers are a lot younger at heart than once thought. According to the piece, “when people aged 60 to 64 were asked at what stage of life they had ‘arrived,’ 43% said ‘middle adulthood;’ a mythical land previously not inhabited by many and whom fashion retailers have no idea how to dress.” So it seems like a lot of “middle adults” are blooming again with a sense of newfound youth. So much for baby boomers—more like baby-bloomers.
The Academy of American Poets re-published a video of renowned American poet Ruth Stone—who we featured here back in 2014—reading her poem “Turn Your Eyes Away”. Videos like these were originally part of the Poetry Break series on WGBH, where poets like Stone read their short poetry (or the work of other poets) during commercial breaks from regular programming. In the purest practice of spring cleaning, this short video is a great find tucked away from years past.
For those of us seriously missing the Obama family, Penguin Random House has acquired publication rights to two books by Michelle and Barack Obama, for a rumored price tag of around $30 Million. The famous first family plans to donate some of the profits to different charities, including their own Obama Foundation. No word yet on when the books will be published, but you can bet that once a release date is set you’ll definitely hear about it. Congrats to Michelle on joining the ranks of bloomer authors! It seems there’s nothing that woman can’t do.
Though it may not seem like it in many parts of the world just yet, spring is in the air! You know the drill—enjoy a good book in the sun (once it’s finally out at a consistently warm temperature) and as you dive into spring cleaning, file through those books you bought during the winter but never got a chance to start. Happy Reading!
George Lubitz is a senior at Skidmore College. His work has been featured in Gravel Magazine, The Adroit Journal, and he is the Co-Founder/Editor-in-Chief at The Skidmo’ Daily, Skidmore’s satirical magazine.
Homepage image: Josh Hoyer
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