Composer and writer Allen Shawn is the author of the new memoir, Wish I Could Be There. The book documents his many phobias. Shawn is deathly afraid of a lot of things, including heights, water, fields, parking lots and unknown streets.

Shawn comes from a literary family. His father, William Shawn, was editor of The New Yorker for 35 years. And his brother, Wallace Shawn, is a distinguished playwright and actor. Allen Shawn himself has been composing music since the age of 10.

Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.