I Couldn’t Throw It Out

Michael Small

5.0 (43)
FILM INTERVIEWS

Revisit pop culture history as former People Magazine reporter Michael Small and guests share the treasures they've saved for decades, including never-heard celebrity interviews, rare memorabilia, and maybe a little junk. Co-host Sally Libby helps decide if they should keep or toss their stuff. Will it be an epic case of Swedish Death Cleaning? Or an epic fail?

OCT 11

Kooky reunion: 67-year-olds perform their 5th grade play

Does a 1967 elementary school magazine -- or a fifth grade school play -- still have value? Only if you’re looking for lost memories, new insights, and hilarity- - - - - - - - - Somewhere in your home, you might have saved at least one treasure from elementary school. The question is: Why did you save it? The only way to find out: Hunt for your ancient objects and see what revelations they bring to your adult life. At least that’s what Sally and I decided to do.After I found a...

1 hr
AUG 30

Ice-T: Never-heard 1991 interview

Hear the rapper and actor talk about crime, Hollywood, racism, and more -- before he was a Law & Order SVU detective and just after he created the metal band Body Count---------In 1991, Ice-T had just appeared in the movie New Jack City -- and his rap albums were defining what was then an unusual style of west coast gangsta rap.That’s why I chose him as one of the top five rappers to lead off my book about hip-hop, Break It Down: The Inside Story from the New Leaders of Rap.Since th...

1h 8m
JUL 6

Scary! Stephen King and Peter Straub's lost interview

When I interviewed Stephen King and Peter Straub in 1984 about their fantasy novel The Talisman, their book was breaking records for hardcover sales. But the fame of their collaboration has faded over the years.Most people recognize King's famous titles -- Carrie, The Shining, The Dead Zone, It, Pet Sematary. And they may be familiar with Straub's 1979 bestseller Ghost Story. But far fewer know about The Talisman. That's why Sally and I asked renowned horror and fantasy expert Bev ...

1h 13m
MAY 10

Love, Mom: Mother's Day advice from a 98-year-old mom

The best way to honor your mother -- on Mother's Day or any other day? We wanted to figure that out. So we got expert advice from family and friends, including 98-year-old Barbara Welsh, mother-to-be Emily Libby, the Von Klemperer family, and mom Debbie Baylin.As we realized, almost everyone -- including you -- has saved some items from mom. You may not even know what you've got. But when those treasures come out of the attic or the closet, something special happens.Hea...

43 min
APR 19

Adults and stuffed animals: Can we bear to part?

Some of us just can't toss our furry friends from childhood. And we're not talking about a cute new collection of plushies. We're talking about stuffed animals with some history, saved for decades till fur and eyes are missing. Why do we save them? And what do we do with them now? To get answers, we've asked adults to tell us about their much-loved cloth animals, including the tale of two German teddy bears who escaped the Nazis, and brought a precious secret cargo with them...

45 min
MAR 21

Memories of Melanie: A friend shares fun times with the singer

When singer/songwriter Melanie Safka died in January, many people remembered her for the #1 pop song "Brand New Key" (also known as the roller skate song.) But those of us who loved her know that her biggest hit never conveyed the richness of her career and her talents.That's why I asked photographer Maddy Miller to join us on I Couldn't Throw It Out. Not only did Maddy take iconic photos of Melanie, including the cover photo on Melanie's gold album Gather Me, she also was Melanie's clo...

1h 1m
FEB 23

The Funniest Movie You Never Saw

Why should you watch Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson in 1967's long-lost-comic gem The Tiger Makes Out?The surprise reason: After 50 years when you couldn't watch it anywhere, we just discovered that you can stream it for free.But wait! That's just a start. Before you dive into this satire from another era – which can be a challenge – let us give you a prep session, with help from our special guest: Katherine Wallach, daughter of Eli and Anne.Katherine shares the back story of The Tiger Makes Ou...

50 min
JAN 27

Swedish Death Cleaning: Meet the World's Experts

Welcome to the invasion of the most entertaining people in Sweden -- who want all of us earthlings to start thinking about... death. Yup, it sounds kooky. But, in this episode, we have a blast absorbing the wit and wisdom of three experts on Swedish Death Cleaning.In case you wonder what that means, these Swedes are the hosts of the Peacock TV series The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (produced and narrated by Amy Poehler). They're the ultimate experts on a philosophy ...

52 min

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06/02/2022

I Couldn't Throw It Out - Trailer

It ain't gonna be easy to throw out never-shared interviews with Joni Mitchell, Kiefer Sutherland, Eazy-E, and many others. That's the challenge coming up on I Couldn't Throw It Out.For decades, Michael Small has saved treasures, including 15 years of recorded interviews when he was a reporter for People Magazine. And more than 60 interviews with original hip-hip starts from his 1992 book Break It Down: The Inside Story from the New Leaders of Rap. That's not even mentioning all the cards and...

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6 min

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out of 5

43 Ratings

Spofford Pond School Envy

Oct 14

AnotherSid

Well this 67 year old 5th grader from Spofford Pond School in Boxford (it’s Sidney Mannheim) is very impressed by all of the very talented 67 year old 5th graders from the Proctor School in neighboring Topsfield MA. Barbara G sent a text message out to high school classmates. It was pure pleasure to listen to you all.
Martha Graham talking about Helen Keller

09/30/2023

esm241

Absolutely amazing!!
Claude Devonshire

09/23/2023

Mrs. Gahalahachabus

Thankfully, Michael has not thrown out his tapes and notepads filled with anecdotes and tales about Joni Mitchell, Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman, and so many more. It’s often a revealing snapshot of top entertainers from a few decades ago. Other episodes focus on stories from his personal life, which are often surprising and incredible. It’s a rich stew for the ears. I highly recommend you tune in.
Treasure!

03/04/2023

EazySteve

After a catchy title theme song, Michael Small unboxes one by one his interview recordings and various documents he kept as a reporter/author from decades ago. His podcast partner Sally Libby tries to convince him to throw it all out, but as they are sharing (is caring), one person's "junk" is another person's treasure in this awesome podcast series! P.S. Don't throw it out!

Revisit pop culture history as former People Magazine reporter Michael Small and guests share the treasures they've saved for decades, including never-heard celebrity interviews, rare memorabilia, and maybe a little junk. Co-host Sally Libby helps decide if they should keep or toss their stuff. Will it be an epic case of Swedish Death Cleaning? Or an epic fail?

Creator

Michael Small
Years Active

2022 - 2024
Episodes

29
Rating

Explicit
Show Website

I Couldn’t Throw It Out

I Couldn’t Throw It Out

Kooky reunion: 67-year-olds perform their 5th grade play

Ice-T: Never-heard 1991 interview

Scary! Stephen King and Peter Straub's lost interview

Love, Mom: Mother's Day advice from a 98-year-old mom

Adults and stuffed animals: Can we bear to part?

Memories of Melanie: A friend shares fun times with the singer

The Funniest Movie You Never Saw

Swedish Death Cleaning: Meet the World's Experts

Trailer