I Couldn’t Throw It Out

Have you saved treasures from your mom? Find and share them for a revealing -- and emotional -- tribute ------------ Here's a special Mother's Day ritual: Dig out the letters and other items that your mom gave you over the years, show them to someone, and tell the stories about her that relate to what you saved. That's what I did two years ago. It was the most meaningful Mother's Day since my mom died. Of course, I went a little overboard when it came to saving things. I kept all 104 cards an...

Craving more Olympics? I Couldn't Throw It Out has staged its own world-class event: The Treasure Toss. In our first mini-episode, photographer and collage artist Joyce Seymore commits to the daring feat of throwing out an artwork and maybe one other possession. This is no easy feat, considering that Joyce has spent a lifetime saving just about everything, including a huge collection of art materials, books, shells, and more. The outcome is as tense as an Olympic snowboard half-pipe com...

You heard how I smashed violins as kid (in a previous episode). Hear how I saved one as an adult. ----- These days, we all could use a story with a happy ending, right? Well, here's one that answers the question: What ever happened to a family heirloom I inherited from my father? When last we spoke of my father's treasured violin (previous episode: Listen up! A Violin Lesson with Strings Attached), I was headed off – once again – to learn how to play it. Did I find a way to make music that wo...

The director and cast of the TV series Waack Girls (Amazon Prime) explain why saving stuff is so common in India, and around the world -------------- If you ever suspected that an obsession with saving things is a mostly American habit, here's proof that it ain't so. Sooni Taraporevala -- who wrote the screenplays for Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala, The Namesake, Yeh Ballet, and other movies -- recently told me that she's been saving treasures in Mumbai, India since she was 5. Not only t...

Nic Cage delivers another explosive performance in the new movie "The Surfer." But the actor I interviewed was somebody else. ---------- When I talked with Nicolas Cage on the phone for an hour in 1994, he already had a bit of a reputation for going ballistic in movies. Just the crazed cockroach-eating scene in Vampire's Kiss was enough to give a guy a reputation. But lo and behold, he told me a lot of things I didn't expect. For starters, he's very shy off-screen and he felt like...

Learn a lesson from the Valentine’s Day cards I’ve saved since the ‘70s: 10 important rules for sending cards to the ones you love, and tips for deciding which love notes to save ----- If you’re sending Valentine’s Day cards this year, there are some key rules to follow -- and mistakes to avoid. I know this because I’ve been saving Valentines since the 1970s. So I can see which ones got right to the heart of it and which sent Cupid’s arrows slightly off target. Looking through my...

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. --------- 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...

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 fo...

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 ...

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...

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 Ma...

Covering live Olympic figure skating on TV is no easy task. Just ask Meg Streeter Lauck, who worked for 23 years as a director for ABC Sports and other networks. Her behind-the-scenes tales -- which she shares in this episode -- reveal how her team nabbed the perfect shot of Canadian skating champions Sale and Pelletier at the 2002 Olympics. Plus, she recreates the thrill of first seeing 13-year-old Dorothy Hamill on the ice, and the sadness of a visit to an NYC fire station after...

With Danny DeVito and his daughter Lucy starring in her play about our favorite topic, Theresa tells us how she cast them, why she wrote it, what she saves, and what she tosses Have thoughts about this episode? Send us a text More info, photos, and transcript: throwitoutpodcast.com Don't miss a thing: Join our mailing list 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....