Spent some time reading up on the art of taiko this morning in preparation for Friday’s TAO: The Martial Art of Drumming show at the Moore Theater. We learned that traditional Japanese drums - ranging in size and shape - are referred to as “taiko”, with the word literally meaning “fat drum” in Japanese. In modern terminology, however, taiko is most commonly used in reference to the art form of ensemble Japanese drumming, a performance concept that has exploded in popularity since its inception in 1951. more ›

Stephen Mitchell has introduced us to both Rainer Maria Rilke and Lao-tzu. He did the same for a lot of people, we suspect--his translation of the Tao Te Ching has sold over a million copies. Now he's on a book tour for The Second Book of the Tao, which is based on the writings of Lao-tzu’s disciple Chuang-tzu and Confucius’s grandson Tzu-ssu. He's in town Saturday, February 28, at the Elliott Bay Book Company for a 2 p.m. appearance. We ask him a few "We haven't read your book yet" questions below--after the jump there's an excerpt he selected just for Seattlest. more ›