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Author John McPhee tells us why he is undertaking what he calls an "old-man project" — writing about the scraps of unwritten stories he's thought about over the years.

Continuing her "No Place Like Home" series, NPR's Susan Stamberg speaks with architect Sarah Susanka, who describes the theory and technique behind designing spaces that feel like home.

The height of the holiday shopping season arrives in the United States, with just four days until Hanukkah, 10 days until Christmas and 11 to Kwanzaa. Books -- whether classic or modern, non-fiction or fantastic -- remain a popular gift choice for many shoppers. Reviewer Alan Cheuse has a list of recommendations.

In the 1970s, Rev. Charlie Jackson strapped on an electric guitar and inspired the congregation in his hometown of Amite, La. He also recorded a series of blues tinged gospel 45s that became collector's items. Meredith Ochs reviews a new release, God's Got It, that compiles the 45s on a CD.

Inspiration isn't always a bolt from the blue. Over the next six months, Morning Edition will explore the ways artists inspire each other. NPR's Elizabeth Blair opens the "Intersections" series by examining famous artists -- such as Van Gogh -- who have publicly acknowledged a debt to others.

In the second of a three-part series on the politics of post-Saddam Iraq, NPR's Ivan Watson reports on Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims, long oppressed by the former regime but now feeling the power of their numbers.

Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Texas Republican Chip Roy say their bill to ban lawmakers from picking stocks is picking up steam. Top leaders have now signed on, showing momentum.

Farnsworth House, a tiny glass pavilion designed by the late modernist master Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, goes on the auction block Friday. Preservationists worry that the new buyer will move the structure from its current site on the banks of the Fox River in Illinois. They say that would destroy its artistic integrity. Chicago Public Radio's Edward Lifson reports.

Marshall Chapman's father, a South Carolina cotton mill owner, was expecting her to grow into a delicate debutante. Instead, his daughter became a hard-living musician whose songs have been covered by Jimmy Buffett, Joe Cocker, Tanya Tucker and many others. Chapman's new memoir and accompanying CD are called Goodbye, Little Rock and Roller. Hear her extended interview with NPR's Bob Edwards' and songs from the CD.

Method acting is more than mining personal experiences to play a character — or physically transforming for a role. Author Isaac Butler traces the history of the technique in The Method.