Amanda Montell (born February 16, 1992) is an American author, writer and linguist.

Amanda Montell
Montell at her home in Los Angeles.
Montell at her home in Los Angeles.
Born (1992-02-16) February 16, 1992 (age 32)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materNew York University
GenreFeminist, Nonfiction, Linguistics, Social Science
Notable worksWordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (2019) Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (2021) The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality (2024)
Website
Amanda Montell

Life and career

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Montell was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland to a Jewish family; she attended Hebrew school as a child.[1][2] Montell studied linguistics at New York University[3] and her writing has appeared in Time,[4] Nylon, Cosmopolitan,[5] Glamour, Domino,[6] and Marie Claire. She previously worked as a beauty and features editor at Byrdie and Who What Wear. She also created a web series, The Dirty Word,[7] for Joey Soloway's now defunct platform, Wifey.[8][9]

Montell's debut book, Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, was released in 2019 and received positive reviews from critics.[10][11][12][13] It was named one of the best books of May 2019 by Popsugar,[14] Marie Claire,[15] and Cosmopolitan.[16]

Her second book, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, was published in 2021 and also received positive reviews from critics.[17][18][19] The book was partially inspired by Montell's father, who spent his teen years in the cult Synanon.[20] Montell is also a cohost of the weekly podcast Sounds Like a Cult, which examines the cult-like aspects of various groups from across the cultural zeitgeist.[21]

Montell's third book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, was published in April 2024.[22][23] The book purports to explain how cognitive biases warp our actions.

References

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  1. ^ Enni, Sarah (2019-12-10). "First Draft Episode #223: Amanda Montell". First Draft. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  2. ^ Burack, Emily (June 10, 2021). "Jews Probably Won't Join Your Cult". Hey Alma. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "Uptalk, vocal fry, and using the word "like" are signs you're linguistically savvy—this book proves why". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  4. ^ "Why Saying 'Like' a Lot Is Like, Actually a Good Thing". Time. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  5. ^ Amanda Montell (2018-10-30). "Meet the Witches Casting a Spell on Your Insta". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  6. ^ "Working From Home Tips: How to Be Productive When You Freelance". domino. 2019-11-22. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  7. ^ "Why Some People Hate The Words "Husband" & "Wife"". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  8. ^ "Amanda Montell Talks Wordslut, Her Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language". pastemagazine.com. 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  9. ^ "The Dirty Word reveals where the word "feminism" actually comes from". HelloGiggles. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  10. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (2019-07-30). "A Defense of the Semicolon and Other Adventures in the English Language". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  11. ^ "Wordslut A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language". Kirkus Reviews. 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  12. ^ "Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language". Publishers Weekly. 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  13. ^ Maslen, Kylie (2019-06-17). "Book Review: Wordslut". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  14. ^ Keaney, Quinn (2019-05-30). "Wordslut by Amanda Montell". POPSUGAR Entertainment. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  15. ^ "Marie Claire Book Club: Five Books To Read This Month". Marie Claire. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  16. ^ Bonner, Mehera (2019-05-02). "Clear Your Schedule: Your May Reading List Is Here". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  17. ^ Wilson, Jennifer (2021-06-28). "How to Spot a Cult". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  18. ^ Gilbert, Sophie (2021-06-10). "We Choose Our Cults Every Day". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  19. ^ Wakeman, Jessica (2021-06-08). "Cultish". BookPage. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  20. ^ "From workplaces to politics to Instagram influencers, "cultish" language is everywhere". Salon. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  21. ^ "About". Sounds Like A Cult. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  22. ^ "Amanda Montell Invites You to 'The Age of Magical Overthinking'". ELLE. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  23. ^ THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING | Kirkus Reviews.
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