Attention All Readers and Writers !

Lately those looking for Oregon Coast real estate, particularly those looking for beachfront property in Newport and Yachats, have noticed something new. Poetry groups, writers workshops, and reading clubs have been springing up like proverbial mushrooms after a spring rain. It seems that retired folks actually enjoy snuggling up in front of a woodstove or fireplace and digging into the classics they always promised themselves they would read one day. This has led to groups such as ‘Writers on the Edge’ who are hosting authors who read their own works. The younger set has even organized ‘poetry slams’ which are becoming quite the scene on weekends.

No one is sure if it’s the gentle rain or the dramatic coastal landscapes which are behind this movement. All the thriving booksellers are sure of one thing:  business is up – way up. Sitting in a friend’s coastal condo last week, I remarked that this summer has been unusually mild. She was assembling yet another bookcase from Ikea to hold her increasing library of book purchases. She wiped the hair out of her eyes smiled and said,  “Good, I’ve got a lot of reading to do and this is absolute heaven for a book lover like me.”  I looked out her front window at the scudding clouds and the crashing surf and had to agree.