The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers Talks ‘Soul Food’

sking someone to pass the dressing is as much a tradition as telling a story to pass the time. This is the basic premise of “Soul Food,” the latest in a series of themes presented by the Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers in Detroit.

"Our mission is global," says Satori Shakoor, executive director for The Society for the Re-Institutionalization of Storytelling, the nonprofit behind the series, "and it’s to connect, heal and transform the community – and to provide an uplifting, soul-cleansing experience through the art of storytelling."

Shakoor curates the events (plus a podcast hosted by WDET) to help storytellers extract the essence of an emotional or funny experience. In many ways, this medium is more intimate than a movie or TV series because these storytellers aim to take attendees on a one-of-a-kind journey.

"What the audience can expect is the unexpected," Shakoor says. "It becomes a synergy between the audience and the storytelling."

Shakoor calls storytelling a community service each of us can contribute to. "We’re always excited to take people into the season of Thanksgiving and gratitude and give them some food for thought – and food to nourish their soul and everything else," Shakoor says.

Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers

8-10 p.m. Nov. 17 • $20-$25

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit

twistedtellers.org