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The U.S. steps up efforts to ensure the January elections for a transitional assembly are held on time, despite the intensifying insurgency in Iraq's Sunni Muslim heartland. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Writer Suzan-Lori Parks has won acclaim for depictions of African-American life. The author of Topdog/Underdog discusses two of her favorite dramatic scenes, from The Sound of Music and Taxi Driver.

Iraqi insurgents have upped their attacks in the northern city of Mosul, where bodies of dozens of Iraqi security forces have been found. U.S. troops are trying to counter the insurgents' attempts to prevent the creation of Iraq's new security forces. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Author Joshua Olsen talks about Better Places, Better Lives. It's a biography of James Rouse, the renowned city planner behind the shopping mall. Rouse planned Columbia, Md., one of the best-planned communities in America, but some of his other ideas for saving America's cities and controlling urban sprawl didn't meet his expectations.

An article in Audubon Magazine recalls the 19th century effort that ended the feather trade. Until a public outcry stopped the practice, thousands of birds across North America were slaughtered to provide decorations for women's hats. Hear Jennifer Price, author of the article, and NPR's Jennifer Ludden.

U.S. soldiers are attempting to train new Iraqi soldiers outside Mosul, but threats of violence and anti-American sentiment make the job a daunting one. Some of the soldiers say few in the U.S. understand the complexities or the scale of the insurgency they're confronting. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

U.S. troops in Iraq mark Thanksgiving with traditional feasts, but also by enduring attacks from Iraqi insurgents in Mosul. One driver delivering a turkey dinner dodged an explosion, but it arrived intact. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Middle East expert Kenneth Pollack talks about his book The Persian Puzzle, an analysis of the complex relationship between the U.S. and Iran over the decades. Pollack notes that relations between the two countries have often been fractious and filled with misinformation on both sides.

Alan Cheuse reviews Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, a novel narrated by a Christian minister as he nears death. Cheuse calls it a "beautifully ruminative novel."

After a chart-topping and occasionally controversial music career, she s now turning out children s books publishing four in just over a year. The newest is The Adventures of Abdi. The others are The English Roses, Mr. Peabody's Apples and Yakov and the Seven Thieves. Her fifth, Lotsa de Casha, is due out in April 2005.