When bestselling spy novelist Joseph Kanon was a book publisher and I was his assistant, I secretly sent out letters in which I pretended to be the boss. Until the Brooke Shields incident. Listen as Joe learns what really happened in 1979.

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Broadway?  Movies?  TV? That's nuthin'.  Stage and screen actress Donna Murphy first found fame on the high school literary magazine staff with Michael and Sally.  Listen in as they read poems by Donna and others 50 years later -- and get a big surprise.

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When 19-year-old Jennifer Beals enrolled at Yale – after starring in 1983's Flashdance -- she couldn't escape a People Magazine interview in which I tried to impress her with my academic credentials.  Listen in as I replay her patient response to my ridiculous cringe-worthy mistakes.

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In 1985, Joni Mitchell gave me a multi-hour interview for People Magazine about flunking high school, Woodstock, Bob Dylan, her Chelsea apartment, poetry, painting, and much more -- which you'll hear in this episode. Oh, c'mon. Do not ask me to toss those tapes.  (Part 1 of 2.)

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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 letters he saved since he was 6, his father's checkbook stubs from 1946, and all the items that now fill 24 boxes.

No one else seems to want these things.  So will co-host Sally Libby get him to do some Swedish Death Cleaning and throw it all out?  And will their guests do the same?  Listen to this five-minute preview and find out.

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When I interviewed Joni Mitchell for People Magazine in 1985, some of her best tales were the longer ones. Hear a few of them, including how she met Jimi Hendrix, why Jack Nicholson missed his cameo in her song, and  a recitation of her 7th grade poem.  No way will I ever toss this tape.  (Part 2 of 2)

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In the first episode of our podcast, my co-host Sally Libby and I try to figure out why I -- and others -- feel the urge to save things.

And then, sob, she makes me use the shredder.

I know Sally's right. For decades, I've saved mementoes from when I was a reporter for People Magazine -- including hundreds of celebrity interview recordings.  I also have more than 60 interviews with the original stars of hip-hop for my 1991 book Break It Down The Inside Story from the New Leaders of Rap. Then there are the personal items: cards and letters I've saved since I was 6, expense accounts, a play I wrote in fifth grade, and other treasures that now fill 24 boxes.

But when I'm gone, someone will throw all of it in a dumpster.  So here's my goal:  Tell the stories behind the items I've saved so at least the memories are preserved.  Then attempt to do some Swedish Death Cleaning.  That's the process of throwing out your stuff now so someone doesn't have to deal with it when you're gone. 

And I'll invite guests to join us on the podcast to do the same.

Can't guarantee that we'll succeed at throwing things out.  But either way I hope  I'll inspire you to look through your own treasures. Then share a story with a friend or family member about what you've saved, why you saved it, and what you plan to do with it. Or send us a photo and description to us. We'll post our favorites in our blog.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the podcast!

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More info, photos, and transcript: throwitoutpodcast.com
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Do you save stuff you can't throw out? Tell us about it
Want to show support? Please rate/follow us wherever you get your podcasts.