In L.A., Nathaniel avoids the obvious as long as he can, avoids his grad-school notebook on the floor of Coolberg's car. When, finally, the subtext becomes the text, the novel resolves itself around two documents, one a sealed letter, addressed to Nathaniel, from Jamie. He's never opened it. In that way, he claims, he keeps hope alive. In that way, we think, he keeps the wound open and the delusion alive. (Perhaps we're too harsh.) The second document you hold in your hands, dear reader - "The Soul Thief," but to say more would be to say too much. Except this: Whoever wrote "The Soul Thief" knows that we write about what keeps us up at night, that a writer gets to inhabit many lives, and that he who tells the story makes the meaning.

Why this show has sizzle

The last audition episode, on February 10, drew 1.6 million viewers nationally, peaking at 2.2 million. To put it in perspective, last year's star-studded Australian Idol finale at the Sydney Opera House, with thousands of screaming fans and a surprise appearance by Lionel Ritchie, had 1.4 million viewers. Last year's Big Brother finale had 2.3 million, and Seven's Dancing with the Stars had a disappointing 1.6 million viewers for its 2007 finale, the lowest in its seven-season history. The first-performance episode of SYTYCDA, on Sunday, lured 1.5 million.

"We loved the show and we had hoped that it would be very successful and once we started seeing some pictures coming back from the auditions we were quietly confident that it would be OK, but you can never tell," says Ten's head of programming, Beverley McGarvey.

DUCTZ Indoor Air Professionals Helps Restore Monte Carlo Hotel and ...

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- DUCTZ National Service Team, an affiliate of DUCTZ Indoor Air Professionals, was called in to action for the immediate restoration of conditioned air systems at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas following the fire on January 25. All 3000 hotel rooms were evacuated after smoke and debris contaminated most of the guest room and rooftop air handling and duct systems. The DUCTZ National Service Team was tasked with restoring the hotel's indoor air quality to pre-fire conditions in time for the hotel's opening on February 15.

The team, consisting of 72 DUCTZ business owners and technicians, cleaned and restored nearly 1,600 guest rooms and the entire air handling system that provides air to all of the hotel's common areas. With the Monte Carlo facing a huge financial loss for every day the hotel remained vacant, the DUCTZ team committed to completing their portion of the work only ten days after they began.

Willows schools face gloomy budget forecast

WILLOWS — As the state budget crisis gathers over Glenn County, officials at Willows Unified School District are preparing for the worst.

"The worse-case scenario is that we are going to have to cut $1 million from the budget," said Steve Olmos, WUSD superintendent, at a meeting this week of the board of trustees.

At a meeting Thursday night, the board of trustees learned proposed state budget cuts could cost the district hundreds of thousands.

New business director Steve Rudy presented the gloomy outlook from the state, saying the district could lose up to $650,000 in Cost of Living Adjustment reductions.

But it isn't just state cuts that will affect the district. Rudy said federal revenue of $200,000 may also be eliminated.

How much of a cut Willows Unified will have to make will depend on what happens in Sacramento.

Baby found in field after tornado OK; recovery begins across state

The body of the boy's mother was found in the same field, houses were wiped to concrete slabs, and a brick post office was blown to bits. But, except for a few scrapes, Kyson was fine.