Hey, I'm Amanda

Amanda Montell is a writer, linguist, and podcast host living in Los Angeles. She is the author of two critically acclaimed nonfiction books, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (HarperWave, 2021) and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperWave, 2019). She is also a creator and host of the hit podcast, Sounds Like A Cult. Amanda's books have earned praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Cultish was named a best book of 2021 by NPR, was shortlisted for several prizes including the Goodreads Choice Awards and getAbstract International Book Award, and has been translated into seven different languages. Cultish is currently in development for television with Loveless Media and Topic Studios. Sounds Like A Cult was nominated for a 2023 iHeart Radio Podcast Award in the Best Emerging Podcast category and was named a best podcast of 2022 by Vulture, Esquire, Marie Claire, and more.

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 and Simon & Schuster, in 2024. Her other writing has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29, and Who What Wear, where she formerly served as the Features & Beauty Editor. Amanda was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and holds a degree in linguistics from NYU. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell.