Pens

Musician Steve Earle has announced he will write two books for publisher Twelve: a novel and a memoir. A memoir, he admits, was not something he'd been planning. “It's the book I swore I would never write - I'm writing a memoir," Earle told theMusic.co.au . Earle's past includes Grammy awards, acting, addiction and a stint in prison. His politics -- anti-war, anti-death penalty -- have made it into his songs. He's also a novelist; his first book, "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" was published last year.

"Odd Apocalypse," bestselling suspense author Dean Koontz's fifth novel in his Odd Thomas series about a fry cook with paranormal abilities, hits bookstores on Tuesday. The prolific 67-year-old novelist lives in Newport Beach with his wife, Gerda, and golden retriever, Anna. I gather Odd Thomas is your most popular character. Why do you think that is? I think it's because he's unique to the genre he's in. There were people in my publishing life who were not enamored of Odd Thomas when I turned in the first novel and really didn't want me to write another.

A photo of a man building a house may look exactly like a picture of him making repairs or one of him taking the place apart brick by brick, so it can be hard to tell whether a snapshot shows the beginning, the middle or the end of a major project. And so it is with this year's state budget: Are we watching California being put back together or witnessing its demolition? A generation of Californians has lived through several spasms of financial restructuring, some of which hit us from outside, some of which we created ourselves.

Here's a look at some of Ray Bradbury's movie and TV work: Movies: "It Came From Outer Space" (1953): Bradbury supplied the story for this 3-D sci-fi classic about an amateur astronomer who sights a spaceship. "Moby Dick" (1956): Bradbury penned the script for John Huston's ambitious adaptation of Herman Melville's allegorical novel, starring Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab. "Fahrenheit 451" (1966): Francois Truffaut's first English-language film was an adaptation of Bradbury's tale of a future in which books are outlawed.

WASHINGTON -- Former Sen. Alan Simpson has again unleashed his sharp tongue on critics, this time in the form of a scathing letter that accuses the California Alliance for Retired Americans of being “greedy geezers.” The Oakland-based retiree organization had protested the Republican's visit to the Bay Area earlier this year,  in which he promoted his deficit-cutting plan that would, among other things, raise the retirement age for Social...

Robert Miles Parker, a free-spirited artist who sparked an architectural preservation movement in San Diego and translated the personalities of Los Angeles and New York into distinctive pen-and-ink drawings of their buildings, has died. He was 72. His partner, David Van Leer, said that the cause was unknown, but that Parker, who died April 17 at his home in New York City, had numerous health problems since being diagnosed with AIDS 20 years ago. Parker published three collections of his drawings, which include "Images of American Architecture" (1981)

Re "Sarkozy, rival won't get vote of far-rightist," May 2 Note to French President Nicolas Sarkozy: Before you cozy up to the far-right Marine Le Pen, ask the Republicans how well the tea party cooperates with its benefactor. Don't forget the law of unintended consequences. Barry Davis Agoura Hills ALSO: Letters: Nathan Fletcher's GOP defection Letters: Beverly Hills' subway obstructionism Letters: Congressional deadlock over student loans

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — Russian-born defenseman Slava Voynov is shy about being interviewed because he's not comfortable speaking English. What he does on the ice transcends any language barrier. Voynov's speed and ability to move the puck quickly have had a noticeable impact on the Kings since he was recalled from the American Hockey League on Feb. 24. In three stints over 54 games, he had eight goals and 20 points and a +12 defensive rating, tying for the league lead in goals and plus/minus rating among rookie defensemen.

BRACHAY, France - The drive to this picturesque village nearly 200 miles southeast of Paris winds through forests and farmland where hawks stand guard on roadside fence posts and egrets glide across empty pastures. With a population of just 60, Brachay's residents say they are "the forgotten ones. " One person did remember them: Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front party. The town thanked her with a record 72% vote in her favor during the first round of France's presidential election last Sunday.

Laurie Tragen-Boykoff rocks on her feet, holding on to a large sign, her hands trembling. The international arrivals ramp at LAX is empty, but that only fuels her anticipation. She's waited 25 years for this. On the sign is a blown-up black-and-white photograph of a somber-faced boy. His name is Nicky Mutoka. Below, in large black letters, the Agoura Hills social worker has written: "NICKY!!! I'M LAURIE. " She lifts the sign, her face disappearing behind it. But she is smiling. In 1987, she began what she saw as a most unlikely pen pal correspondence.