All things must pass: in a wince-worthy development, a George Harrison memorial tree planted in Los Angeles in 2004 has been killed by an infestation of—yes, beetles. A city councilmember says that the tree will be replanted. (Los Angeles Times)

Dave Eggers, watch your back: Jack White's Third Man Records are going into the book publishing business with Language Lessons: Volume 1. On sale August 5, the 321-page collection of prose and poetry by 20 writers and musicians will also come with two LPs and five posters. (Rolling Stone)

A rare Velvet Underground acetate containing recordings from the 1966 Velvet Underground & Nico sessions, previously sold for $25,200 in 2006, is back on the auction block. (Rolling Stone) For more on acetates and why they're valuable, read about the Bob Dylan acetate trove recently unearthed in Greenwich Village.

After receiving Kennedy Center Honors last year, Billy Joel will now also receive the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize. The prize, which is given to one musician each year, has previously been awarded to the likes of Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, and Paul Simon. (Rolling Stone)

Shel Silverstein will be getting the Hollywood biopic treatment. A film that's just started development will tell the story of the well-known children's writer (1930-1999) who also wrote songs—most notably, the Johnny Cash novelty number "A Boy Named Sue." (Variety)

The notoriously volatile Libertines, recently reunited for live shows, are dropping hints about a possible new album. The Guardian asks rhetorically: what could go wrong?