The Waltons (TV Series)

The Literary Man (1972)

Richard Thomas: John-Boy Walton

Photos 

Quotes 

• John-Boy Walton : Piecing out a story in your mind?

  A.J.Covington : Yeah.

  John-Boy Walton : Well, if you'd like to talk it out loud, there's nothing I'd rather do than listen.

  A.J.Covington : That's what I've done with all my stories, John-Boy. Talked them all away instead of putting them down on paper.

  John-Boy Walton : What do you mean?

  A.J.Covington : I've yarned my yarns at boarding house tables, in saloons, hotel lobbies, street corners; just about any place I could get anybody to listen. Then when I sat myself down alone, in front of a blank piece of paper I -- it was all gone. I was drained. I'd talked it all away, so I couldn't write.

• John-Boy Walton : But didn't Melville and London do the same thing?

  A.J.Covington : What they saw and felt, they sat down without asking themselves if it was the story. As long as it was a story, that was good enough.