10 Things That Scare Me

Ida and Noa are sisters from Brooklyn. Noa tasted her first snail last summer and Ida passed the purple swim test at camp. Now she’s allowed to swim all the way out to the dock. This audio recorded by Ida's and Noa's father on vacation in Maine, inspired the idea for our podcast but it’s also the final episode of 10 Things That Scare Me. Thanks for listening to the show! Please email us at [email protected], we're always listening. Join the 10 Things That Scare Me conversation, and tell us your fears here. And follow 10 Things That Scare Me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Back in january we brought you the fears of WNYC cultural critic and author Rebecca Carroll. She just launched a brand new podcast. It’s called Come Through: 15 Essential Conversations About Race In A Pivotal Year For America. And whether you’re afraid to talk about race or sick of trying to make other people talk about it, this show is for you. Subscribe to Come Through wherever you get your podcasts and enjoy this rebroadcast of Rebecca's fears. Join the 10 Things That Scare Me conversation, and tell us your fears here. And follow 10 Things That Scare Me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Hank Green is the author of the novel An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. He lives in Missoula Montana with his wife Katherine and his son Orin. Hank is also one half of the Vlog Brothers. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Jessica is a comedy producer in her 30s and until a couple of months ago she said she would describe herself as “eggs on ice, career on fire”. David is a 54 year old engineer living in Wales in the UK. He believes that given the chance, most people are kind and considerate. Nata lives in Azerbijan. Nearly 6,000 miles away.Charlie is 39 and lives in Jersey City. He told me he’s been waking up in a panic at 7:30 every Saturday morning worried that he has slept through the Tottenham Hotspur match. Join the 10 Things That Scare Me conversation, and tell us your fears here. And follow 10 Things That Scare Me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Anne Wolf is a 38 year old mother, strategist, and minimalist shoe enthusiast. She loves the idea of hobbies, but she hasn’t found the right one yet. One time, back in the 90s, she tried water skiing. Her swim trunks fell down immediately, but she stood up on the skis. With her head held high, she willfully maintained her balance all the way around the lake. As it turns out, that event has been a pretty good metaphor her life so far. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Hrishikesh Hirway is a musician, composer, and the creator of the podcast Song Exploder -- where musicians take apart their songs and tell the story of how they were made. Hrishi’s favorite memory from his time working in the fast food industry was learning how to make suicide soda, which is when you mix all the different flavors together. Apparently he makes ‘em good. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Sarah Haider grew up a devout Muslim, but left the religion as a teenager. Today she is the executive director of Ex Muslims of North America, and her dad is now an atheist. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

George Divoky studies the black guillemots of Cooper Island in Alaska. He is also the director of Cooper Island Arctic Research. Divoky tweeted that there is was fresh water on Cooper Island in 2019 because all the multi-year sea ice he has relied on for drinking water over the 45 years of his research has disappeared. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Kent Bonar lives with his animals in the Ozarks region of Arkansas. Many years ago he started drawing the various plants he encountered on his walks in the woods. Eventually, he had over 3,500 illustrations. In 2017, they were collected in a book published by the University of Arkansas. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Chris Thile is a traveling musician and the host of Live From Here from Minnesota Public Radio. He told us his son Cal is named after the comic strip character Calvin in Calvin and Hobbes. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Mara Wilson is a former child actor and host of the podcast What Are You Afraid Of. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Liz is a listener who called in to us from the suburbs of Chicago where she makes her living driving a book mobile. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Nigel Poor is a visual artist and lives in California. She is the co-host and co-producer of the podcast Earhustle with Earlonne Woods. She met Earlonne while volunteering in San Quentin and says he was the quietest guy in the room. Here’s Earlonne’s episode. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Chris Distefano is an actor and comedian in New York City. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Kathy Tu is the co-host of the podcast Nancy. When she and her co-host Tobin Low pitched the idea for a podcast about the queer experience, there was a time they wanted to name it "Gaydiolab". Here’s Tobin’s episode. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Jeffery Lackman is a 23 year old listener who called in to us from the Minnesota/North Dakota border. He is running around with a smile on his face, trying to pay his bills and believes that the Bigmouth Buffalo Fish is undervalued. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Michael W. Twitty is a culinary and cultural historian and author of The Cooking Gene. He converted to Orthodox Judaism at 25. Twitty is the first Revolutionary in Residence at Colonial Williamsburg. His comfort food is pot liquor. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Ellen Ryan is a lawyer from Chicago. She told us that she met her husband while on a trek in the Himalayas. After Jeffrey Dahmer was convicted, she and her husband continued to visit him in prison. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Molly called in to us from Maryland. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Maureen took up the challenge to tell us what scares her from her home in Mendocino County, CA. Where she works as a hospital chaplain. Maureen is also a writer and author of the play “It’s All About Sex”. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Jeff Emtman is the host of KCRW’s Here Be Monsters. He’s originally from Pullman, Washington. When Jeff was a kid, he ate a whole jar of tiny sea shells. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Billie Parker is a wife, sister, friend, activist, writer, a retired corporate video producer, and presently an addiction recovery teacher at Santa Fe County Jail. She lives with her wife Gay Block in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after residing in San Francisco for most of her life. Gay Block is a portrait photographer. Her work is collected by many museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the Jewish Museum. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Jia Tolentino grew up in Texas and is a New Yorker staff writer and author of the essay collection Trick Mirror. Jia has never had a soda without alcohol in it. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Vivian Wagner is a listener like you who who decided to share her fears with us. She is an associate professor of English and getting ready to marry a handsome commercial pilot. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Cameron Esposito is a Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor and writer. Cameron did a stint as ringmaster for El Circo Cheapo Cabaret out of Chicago. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Rebecca Carroll is a cultural critic and Editor of Special Projects at WNYC. She met her husband on a subway platform in Brooklyn. He was on his way to a conference on race and social policy. He proposed to her on the same subway platform a year later. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

My dad loved talking to me. And I always felt bad because I didn't love talking to him even though I loved him. Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter and host of the podcast How To from Slate. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Ike is a listener from Chandler, Arizona. He is 11 years old and an artist. Join the 10 Things That Scare Me conversation, and tell us your fears here. And follow 10 Things That Scare Me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Amy Pearl lives in Brooklyn with her animal family. For our 100th episode and the final episode of season 1, we're presenting Amy Pearl. Then, a quick behind the scenes peek into how 10 Things That Scare Me gets made each week. Look for season 2 in late fall. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

By the time I got to high school, I became a featured twirler. Eddie Adkins is a retired accounting firm partner living in Washington, D.C. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

It's the slow feeling of becoming less. Jerry Roback was assigned by the State Department to humanitarian projects in Vietnam during the war. He lives in Washington state. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

I'm not out there trying to make amphibious friends. Jill has had many careers, from lawyer to dog walker to hand model. She currently takes care of her parents in Lansing, Michigan with her dog Sam. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

I'm scared that I'm asking too much of her. Andrew Kim is the first Democratic congressman of Korean descent. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

One minute she's there for me and the next minute she's not. Billy Jackson lives in New York City. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

I think the real reason I didn't reenlist was because they had wool uniforms. Mike Pearl is a retired newspaper reporter from New York. He wrote for the Daily Mirror, the Journal-American, the World Journal Tribune and the New York Post among others. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

The possibility that ultimately there is no cost to being despicable. Jon Mooallem is a journalist and the creator of The WALKING podcast which begins its second season today. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Tight wool sweater with syrup inside of it. Earlonne Woods is co-host and co-creator of the Ear Hustle podcast, from PRX's Radiotopia, which just launched its fourth season. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Paper cut on eyeball. Brenda Shaughnessy is a poet. Her most recent book is The Octopus Museum. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

We're singing against the man. Duff McKagan is best known for his stint as the bassist of Guns N' Roses. He is the author of It's So Easy and Other Lies, and his solo album Tenderness is out now. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Mothman related driving fears. Matt Collette makes Post Reports, the daily news podcast from the Washington Post. He used to make Nancy from WNYC Studios. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

When you're a little kid, everything looks big. Born Lamont Jody Hawkins, U-God is an American rapper and hip-hop artist and one of the founding members of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. He is the author of Raw: My Journey Into The Wu-Tang. If you want to enter the Wu-Tang, just head to the corner of Targee Street and Vanderbilt Avenue on Staten Island in New York City, which has been officially renamed the "Wu-Tang Clan District." Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

This is all I deserve. Alex Goldman is the co-host of the podcast Reply All from Gimlet Media. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

My own heartbeat. Kathryn Harrison is a writer living in New York City. Her latest book is On Sunset. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

I wanted to read a masterpiece but this is just a book. Karen Russell is the author of Orange World and other books. She has received a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship and lives in Oregon with her husband and son. Her other books include: St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, Swamplandia!, Vampires in the Lemon Grove and Sleep Donation: A Novella. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

The woods at night. Garrett Crowe is a writer and podcast producer. Check out his work here. And follow him @crowegarrett. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Dead air. Kai Wright is host and managing editor of The Stakes, a podcast about social change, produced by the Narrative Unit of WNYC’s newsroom. He was also the host of the podcasts The United States of Anxiety, Caught, and There Goes the Neighborhood. He is a columnist and former editor for The Nation. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

The marionettes in my mom’s bedroom. Sarah Duckett is a mechanical engineer in Boston, Massachusetts. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Actually being betrayed. Felix Bircheneder studies English and German language, literature and culture. He sends his greetings from Germany. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

My future sucking. Zenna Wallace is a student who is homeschooled in Florida. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.

Being shot and killed by law enforcement. DeRay Mckesson is a civil rights activist. He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Join the "10 Things That Scare Me" conversation, and tell us your fears at 10thingspodcast.org.