Maybe it was a random poem someone recited during an open mic. Maybe your grandmother sat you down as a child and told you what life was like when she was a kid. Maybe it was the time your mother or father sat bedside, reading through “Goodnight Moon” or “Where the Wild Things Are” two or three times before you finally drifted into a dream. Whatever it was, it was a form of storytelling, a time-honored art form that is celebrated at storytelling festivals in cities from Vancouver, British Columbia, to the Bay Area. Gather round, folks, and let me tell you a tale. Whether through verse, spoken word or clever rhyme, these fests - featuring writers, books, poets and haikus - will help you get lost in one of our oldest arts.