Joe R. Lansdale grew up poor in east Texas and worked as a janitor and in a potato field before finding success as a writer. 'Honky Tonk Samurai' is the latest book in his 'Hap and Leonard' mystery series. Also, the French government is eliminating the circumflex (the little hat-shaped accent that sits on certain vowels.) Linguist Geoff Nunberg wonders why we don't have similar spelling controversies in English. Finally, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews 'All My Yesterdays' by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis.