Waltons 3.10: “The Book”

Airdate: 11/14/74

After enrolling in a stuffy literary club, John-Boy gets to feeling that his writing isn’t important enough, until his mother secretly sends some of his short stories to a publisher, who agrees to print the works in a hardcover volume. John-Boy’s spirits are lifted – perhaps too high – as he starts disassociating himself from the rest of the family, including Jason, whose new gig in a country band gets overshadowed by John-Boy’s newfound popularity. John Boy falls back down to earth, with a thud, when he is billed for his book and discovers he had fallen for a “Vanity Press” scheme, luring in aspiring writers, naïve of the fact that they must pay for their own publication.

Wide-eyed John-Boy gets another taste of reality, but not much sympathy from me as he should’ve read the contract (telegraphed, none too subtly, when wary John Sr. warns the others but is ignored). Best and most literary scene is when John-Boy, in his literary club, is admonished to write with more “socio-political overtones.”

But Jason’s story is the most interesting here. The writers and Jason portrayer, John Walmsley, are starting to carve out a musical niche for the character. It’s not a stretch to believe the country band would hire Jason – Walmsley is quite a talent!