It was a bit ragged in the scheduling, as island events often are. But Vashon Island’s first literary festival, staged Memorial Day weekend under the corny but apt title ReadOn, WriteOn, VashOn, was a resounding success, and organizers promise to do it again next year. ReadOn, WriteOn was the project of ex-Seattle winemaker Ron Irvine and ex-Seattle novelist Will North, who moved to bookish Vashon three years ago and went native in a big way; his column for the weekly Beachcomber has made him the island’s answer to Herb Caen and Emmett Watson. North called in chits from writer pals—including thriller master Michael Gruber (The Good Son, The Forgery of Venus) and maritime chronicler Brad Matsen (Descent, Cousteau, and a timely forthcoming volume on the deadliest-ever oil-rig disaster)—to assemble a roster of readings and panels matching much larger mainland festivals. Disclosure: your correspondent sat on one panel.

Several hundred people (the festival was free, so no one counted precisely) braved holiday ferry schedules or tore themselves away from the Vashon farmers’ market to attend. All venues seemed to be packed, and island writers filled two and a half hours of "Open Mike at the Bike" (the Red Bicycle Restaurant with five-minute bursts that were sometimes scintillating and sometimes… well, it was open mike). Remarkably, the whole production broke even with donations, sponsorships, and a grant from Humanities Washington.

In the afterglow, says North, island boosters are considering a new “arts-based community economic development” strategy. “We are kicking around the idea of making Vashon known for writing and writers as it is for art and artists”—and, though he doesn’t mention them, for homegrown weed and diehard hippies.

The lit set seems ready to oblige. Matsen himself moved to Vashon a year and a half ago, and the scenery and warm reception had at least a couple guests musing about island real estate.