Hey, I'm Amanda

Amanda Montell is a writer, linguist, and podcast host from Baltimore. She is the author of two critically acclaimed nonfiction books: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (HarperCollins, 2021) and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperCollins, 2019). She is also the creator and co-host of the hit podcast, Sounds Like A Cult, which peaked on Spotify's Top 20 list of the most popular podcasts in the USA and was named one of the best podcasts of the year by Vulture and Wired. Amanda's books have earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Cultish is an indie bestseller, was named one of the best books of 2021 by NPR, and was a Goodreads Choice Awards top 5 finalist. Amanda is currently at work on her third book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, to be published by OneSignal, an imprint of Atria at Simon & Schuster, in 2024.

As a reporter and essayist, Amanda's writing has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Refinery29, The Rumpus, and Who What Wear, where she formerly served as the Features & Beauty Editor. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants, and pets. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell.