I Couldn't Throw It Out

I Couldn't Throw It Out

Revisit pop culture history as former People Magazine reporter Michael Small and guests decide the fate of 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?

Recent Episodes

Oct. 11, 2024

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
Aug. 30, 2024

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
July 6, 2024

Scary! Stephen King and Peter Straub's lost interview

The writers discuss their friendship and trade bloody tales during a never-shared 1984 interview about their hit book The Talisman. Plus, horror expert Bev Vincent on the chances of a new Talisman sequel or TV series
May 10, 2024

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

Which gifts from mom are the real keepers? Daughters and sons, a grandmother, and a mother-to-be help us decide
April 19, 2024

Adults and stuffed animals: Can we bear to part?

Some adults can't toss their furry friends from childhood, even when the fuzz is gone. Hear about much-loved survivors, including two teddy bears who escaped the Nazis
March 21, 2024

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

Melanie Safka's hit song about roller skating didn't reflect her rich talents and history. Get the real story from her lifelong friend, photographer Maddy Miller (Plus: a never-heard Melanie interview)

Recent Blog Posts

Ice-T: Links to his new life

Ice-T is up to so much -- if you did a Google search, it would be overwhelming.  To help you keep up, we've gathered some favorite recent links. (And if you want to know where he was at 33 years ago, check out my never-shared 1991 Ice-T interv…

I Heart Zestful Aging

Guests on the podcast Zestful Aging always sound interesting. Without fail.  No matter what the topic is. Which is one reason why I'm so happy to be interviewed on the new episode, talking about the things I couldn't throw out and the one thing…

Mother's Day Tribute: Doris's Creation

My mom Doris Small thought the greatest honor on earth was getting published. For some reason -- a lack of time, a lack of confidence -- she never tried to write a book.  But when I was in college and getting published in a magazine, this inspi…

About the Hosts

Michael Small Profile Photo

Michael Small

Host

Michael Small, the host of I Couldn't Throw It Out, can be seen telling stories on Youtube in the NYC storytelling showcase Tale. His plays have been presented in the New York International Theater Festival and The HOWL Festival. He and BT McNicholl co-wrote the book for the musical The IT Girl, which debuted Off Broadway in 2001 and is now performed regionally. His new musical The History of Light, which updates Gilbert and Sullivan songs with pop and hip-hop, was performed in a public reading at L.A.'s La Mirada Theater.

After 15 years as a reporter for PEOPLE Magazine, Michael became a manager of websites for Wired, Entertainment Weekly, and Rolling Stone, among others. Most recently, he was a product manager at MSNBC.com and NBC News Digital.

Michael's 1992 book Break It Down: The Inside Story of Rap included interviews with more than 60 hip-hop artists. And, yes, he also ghostwrote the biography of the superhunk Fabio. If you need a copy, let him know.

Sally Libby Profile Photo

Sally Libby

Co-Host

Sally LIbby, the co-host of I Couldn't Throw It Out, has a book of humorous verse in the works about the movers and shakers in world history. She and Michael Small co-wrote a parody of tax preparation manuals called Up Your Income Tax. (Unfortunately, the publisher went out of business when the book was being printed. More on that in the podcast.) After college, Sally worked at ad agencies in Boston and Miami before deciding to focus on raising her two children, including the podcast's art director Riley Welsh. Sally is a life-long lover of puns and dogs, and an inveterate question asker, which earned her a major role on I Couldn't Throw It Out.