Get out the holiday treasures you’ve saved for years, and join us as we decide why we kept them and what to do with them.
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Attention holiday revelers!  Are you someone who just can’t let go of Christmas and Hanukkah gifts from the past?  Even if they don’t fit? Or they’re ugly?   Or they’re useless? What about holiday cards? Do you stash them somewhere year after year and never look at them again?

Well, you’re not alone.

On this episode of I Couldn’t Throw It Out, we’ve gathered friends to wrestle with age-old question of what to do with our holiday treasures. Our four guests -- college teacher Louisa Campbell, writer/chef Mark Ganem, entrepreneur Ginger Thomson, and storyteller/actor Eric Weiner -- share some treasures they’ve saved for years.

Though no one brought an ugly Christmas sweater, we did determine the fate of an ugly porcelain elephant, an ill-fitting jacket, two ancient dreidels, some Christmas ornaments, and 76 Christmas and Hanukkah cards dating back to 1967. (This includes a 1991 card showing co-host Sally Libby’s two children and two dogs, with her candid note on the back:  “What kind of mother sends out a card where the dogs look better than the kids?”)

Along the way, we made some surprising discoveries about what was important to us and why.

Listen along, then dig out all the treasures you saved from Santa’s previous visits and revisit your own holiday memories as you decide:  Can you throw it out?

See all the treasures we share in this episode on the website for I Couldn’t Throw It Out.

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Inheriting a violin is wonderful. But what if it comes with instructions that it must be played? And you resorted to violence as a kid to get out of playing?  Then what?

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If you’re lucky enough to inherit something from someone you really love, that’s usually a good thing.  But everyone once in a while, it’s not so simple.

What happens when you inherit something that was loved by the person who gave it – but maybe you don’t feel quite the same way about it? 

That’s the puzzle we try to solve as we consider the fate of two violins I inherited a few years ago from my father.  One of them came with a heartfelt note he wrote, asking for it to be played daily and kept in the family forever.

That’s a tall order.  Especially for me, considering that I studied the violin for 10 years as a child to please my father.  And secretly committed acts of violence to try to get out of it.

To determine what to do with my father’s violins, I needed expert help.  So I consult Diane Mellon, the manager of David Segal Violins, a wondrous stringed instrument purveyor in New York City. Not only has that shop serviced several genuine Stradivarius violins, but they also have provided violin consulting for top performers like Midori, Joshua Bell and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.  

To get a different perspective, Sally and I also consult Rachel Kuklinski, a cousin of mine who, like me, was persuaded to play the violin as a child.  But she rebelled much more openly than I did.

Why is music so important to some families? And why the violin?  Can anyone learn to make beautiful music?  And what should I do with my father’s violins – along with stacks of sheet music and other mementos of musical events?

If you played an instrument as a child, the conclusions we reach just might be helpful to you too.  Listen and find out.

Watch a video of 96-year-old David Small playing his violin and see photos of treasures mentioned in this episode on the website for I Couldn't Throw It Out.

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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

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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 play and three copies of a school magazine that I had saved since fifth grade, we used the Interwebs to track down five other people who created those masterpieces with us. Then we made them revive their original roles in the play and read poems, jokes, and gossip from the magazine, all written when we were 10.  They also shared some of their own elementary school treasures, before we determined the fate of everything we’d saved.

It might seem absurd for seven adults to go back to their fifth grade writings.  Which is why partly why we did it.  A little absurdity is a lot of fun. But here’s the surprise: we also had revelations about our lives, thoughts that would never have come to us if we left those objects unseen in the attic, waiting for someone to toss them.

Oh, and yes, I also saved my fifth grade class photo -- along with a photo of my classmate Nancy (Simms) Sofen, who joins us on this episode.

We hope our fifth grade gang will inspire you to start searching for your own elementary school friends. Then stage your version of our kooky reunion, where you just might get useful insights into who you were as children and how it affected you for the rest of your life.

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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

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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 then, I couldn’t throw out the tape of my interview – which lasted well over an hour. But I hadn’t shared it with anyone, until now.

As I listened again, I remembered that Ice-T (whose real name is Tracy Marrow) is one of the all-time most amazing talkers. There was almost nothing I wanted to cut.  So here it is, the interview almost in its entirety.

For me, it was surprising to hear Ice-T’s 1991 thoughts on topics that are still relevant.  His commentary on Donald Trump was different from what it would be now.  But our discussion of Clarence Thomas could have happened yesterday. We also talked about education, racism, poverty, crime, the police, censorship, fatherhood, politics, the army, Hollywood, and – of course – the origin of gangsta rap.

So much happened in Ice-T's life after our talk. A year later, he caused a national controversy when his metal band Body Count released the song “Cop Killer.”  The song was banned and became an election talking point for the first George Bush and his vice president Dan Quayle. Later, Ice-T appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies – with his most prominent credit being 25 years on Law & Order SVU.

Most of all, this flashback interview reminded me of the sharpness and openness of Ice-T’s mind. And his strength, which helped him bounce back from losing both parents as a child and ultimately allowed him to leave his rough street life in South-Central L.A.

If you want more about Ice-T's current life, you’ll find links to articles about his wife Coco, his three kids, his exhibit at Harvard, his online bonding with Stephen King, his support of vaccination, his bulldogs, his podcast, and more on the I Couldn't Throw It Out blog.

Ice-T Photo by Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons

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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 Vincent to help us evaluate the never-shared audio tape and notes I've saved for 40 years since I met King and Straub, helping us decide what I should save or toss.

Along the way, we were reminded of King and Straub's strong bond of friendship before Straub's death in 2022 (from complications after an accident). We also learned about the classic poets that they both loved, and we relived the fun time I had with them, as they told bloody stories over breakfast at McDonald's. 

Among the insights from Bev Vincent:  He discussed the chances of a TV series based on the Talisman by the Duffer Brothers ("Stranger Things") and he shared King's latest thoughts about following the 2001 Talisman sequel Black House with a third book in the series.

Is it time for you to read, or re-read, The Talisman? Listen and find out.

King/Straub photo by Jordan M. Hahn

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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.

Hear what we learned from this Mother's Day ritual, and then try it yourself.   Should you keep saving the gifts you got from mom?  Listen and find out.

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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. Hear their stories, then tell us about your own stuffed animal. Send us a message on Instagram @throwitoutpod – and we'll share selections so everyone can honor our enduring companions.

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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 close friend for more than 50 years. While sharing some of the gifts she received from Melanie, Maddy tells never-heard stories about their adventures – including an excellent close encounter with The Who's Keith Moon.

Though Melanie released dozens of albums and wrote new songs for six decades, little is known about the full scope of her life and music.  Find out what you missed – and what you could still enjoy – as we look back on her performance at Woodstock, and the varied songs that won her a legion of passionate fans.

Plus, I share my never-heard interview with Melanie and my authentic mementoes from the '70s.  Will I toss 'em? Let's just say that Maddy figures out what to do with her own treasures. Listen and find out…

MORE ABOUT MELANIE

Maddy Miller's personal collection of Melanie photos:  See the gallery
My playlist of favorite Melanie songs:  Listen now

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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 Out, and her parents' wondrous performances in it. Then she talks about her family life, which included starring with her parents on Broadway, and a babysitter named Marilyn Monroe.

We also point you to the highlights of The Tiger Makes Out, including a cameo by Dustin Hoffman, an unhinged performance by Charles Nelson Reilly, and comic twists hiding in every single performance and every tiny detail of the set.

Now, after decades of frustration when I couldn't share my favorite movie, everyone can watch it -- including our special guest Walker Stevenson, a friend who has never agreed with me about any movie. Can I transform Walker into a fan ofThe Tiger Makes Out?  Or will he talk me into tossing my treasures that relate to the movie?  Um, don't bet on either of those.

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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 of reducing your possessions in a way that's much more  profound than a decluttering with Marie Kondo. 

Dialing in from Sweden, psychologist Katarina Blom, professional organizer Ella Engstrom, and designer Johan Svenson help us evaluate a sampling of stuff I've saved for decades, including treasures related to Andy Warhol, Billy Idol, and Joni Mitchell from my years as a People Magazine reporter.  So now it's time to let it all go.  Okay, maybe some of it...

Along the way, these Swedes showed us how to laugh about death.  But they also caught me off guard with a revelation so powerful that... I kind of lost it.

Would a little Swedish Death Cleaning do wonders for you too?  Listen and find out.

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