The Ojai Storytelling Festival takes place October 24-27 this year with events at the Ojai Art Center and Libbey Bowl with a roster including the country's top practitioners of this ancient art form. Bil Lepp, host of the History Channel's Man v. History show, five-time winner of the West Virginia Liars Contest and author of 28 books and audio collections, joins festival director Kara Lakes for a bracing, fast-pacing discussion.

Lepp talks about his family of storytellers, his close bonds with fellow storytellers developed after years on the circuit, and why it matters. Lakes talks about what's new this year - the story slams, workshops, special events such as Naughty Tales and renowned musical acts.

We did not talk about RFK Jr.'s whale decapitation, medieval poetry forms like the sestina or the inter-generational despair of Mets fans.

For more information on this weekend's festival, check out OjaiStoryFest.org. For more on the singularly "L'd" Bil Lepp, check out his website at https://www.leppstorytelling.com/