The Oregon Coast chapter of Willamette Writers offers Writers-on-Writing workshops the first Tuesday of each month, 7-8:30 p.m. in the McEntee Room of the Newport Public Library, 35 NW Nye St. Admission is free. The Writers-on-Writing series is sponsored by the Newport Public Library and the Sylvia Beach Hotel. For information, contact Sue Lick at suelick@casco.net or Dorothy Blackcrow Mack at dmack@netportnet.com.

Sue is the author of Freelancing for Newspapers and Stories Grandma Never Told me. She is a newpaper reporter/editor turned freelance writer/editor/writing teacher. She has been writing and publishing in some form since elementary school. In addition to her writing, she is a professional singer/guitarist/piano player.

Dorothy is an awarding-winning author and teacher. She is currently working on a memoir about her marriage to a Lakota spiritual leader and raising a sacred herd of buffalo, Belonging to the Black Crows, as well as writing a reservation mystery, The Handless Maiden.

The Sylvia Beach Hotel is a popular destination on the Oregon Coast. Rooms are decorated to celebrate particular authors like Mark Twain, Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, and many others. Guests are encouraged to meet and share stories at dinner and breakfast.For reservation information, call 888-795-8422.

On June 3, Rebecca Harrison presents a multi-media talk about Using Stories to Write Dramatic Nonfiction in her book Deep Dark and Dangerous: On the bottom with the Northwest Salvage Divers (.BookSurge, 2006). Join the author for a fascinating look into this unknown world. This series "Writers-on-Writing," hosted by Willamette Writers Coast Branch and the Newport Public Library from 7-8:30pm, is free and open to the public.

The finest historical books personalize the stories with action and feeling from the people in the narratives. Harrison's book takes the reader under dangerous waters along with these brazen men who dared the ocean.

Salvage divers work underwater in a turbid darkness. In their cumbersome diving gear, these men have barely enough room to move around, while fighting the cold temperature and treacherous currents. It is a dirty, unromantic and highly dangerous way of earning a living.

From locating sunken boxcars to repairing concrete foundations for bridges, no task is too risky. Salvage divers are carpenters, masons, riggers, hydraulic mechanics, ironworkers, welders, pile bucks, and underwater engineers. They must be able to adapt all blueprints, tools and equipment to the harsh realities of the underwater environment.

Craig Lesley writes, "A frightening yet fascinating trade, salvage diving stands as the Northwest's most dangerous occupation. Over half of salvage divers perish on treacherous dives in frigid waters. With her compelling and illuminating book, Rebecca Harrison chronicles the adventures of intrepid men and women as they salvage sunken cargo, repair bridges or lay underwater cable. …Be prepared for struggling with the deadly Devil Fish, retrieving silver booty, and wrestling a sunken locomotive from the turbulent Deschutes. Harrison's clear portrayal of many breathtaking dives guarantees that readers will understand the depths of the Northwest's brawny waters."

Harrison's adventures of finding these men, their families, and the stories they keep locked away in a secret chest of drawers, dusty crates and treasures held close to their hearts. She shares funny and tragic stories not included in the book, leaving the audience wondering about the strength of any human being against nature.

Harrison's publications include articles in Marine Digest, Diver Magazine and Oregon Coast Today; and in Teaching Today and Learning Magazine. She is co-author of a forthcoming textbook, Child Abuse: A Guide For Professionals (2008).