Amanda Montell

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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)
United States
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

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

Life and career[edit]

Montell was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.[1] Her debut book, Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, was released in 2019 and received positive reviews from critics.[2][3][4][5] It was named one of the best books of May 2019 by Popsugar,[6] Marie Claire,[7] and Cosmopolitan.[8]

Her second book, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, was published in 2021 and also received positive reviews from critics.[9][10][11] The book was partially inspired by Montell's father, who spent his teen years in the cult Synanon.[12] Montell is also a cohost of the weekly podcast Sounds Like a Cult with documentarian Isabela Medina-Maté, where they examine groups from across the cultural zeitgeist.[13]

Her third book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, was published in April 2024.[14][15]The book purports to explain how cognitive biases warp our actions.

Montell holds a degree in linguistics from New York University[16] and her writing has appeared in Time,[17] Nylon, Cosmopolitan,[18] Glamour, Domino,[19] 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,[20] for Joey Soloway's now defunct platform, Wifey.[21][22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Enni, Sarah (2019-12-10). "First Draft Episode #223: Amanda Montell". First Draft. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Wordslut A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language". Kirkus Reviews. 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  4. ^ "Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language". Publishers Weekly. 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
  5. ^ Maslen, Kylie (2019-06-17). "Book Review: Wordslut". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  6. ^ Keaney, Quinn (2019-05-30). "Wordslut by Amanda Montell". POPSUGAR Entertainment. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  7. ^ "Marie Claire Book Club: Five Books To Read This Month". Marie Claire. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  8. ^ Bonner, Mehera (2019-05-02). "Clear Your Schedule: Your May Reading List Is Here". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  9. ^ Wilson, Jennifer (2021-06-28). "How to Spot a Cult". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  10. ^ Gilbert, Sophie (2021-06-10). "We Choose Our Cults Every Day". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  11. ^ Wakeman, Jessica (2021-06-08). "Cultish". BookPage. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  12. ^ "From workplaces to politics to Instagram influencers, "cultish" language is everywhere". Salon. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  13. ^ "About". Sounds Like A Cult. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  14. ^ "Amanda Montell Invites You to 'The Age of Magical Overthinking'". ELLE. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  15. ^ THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING | Kirkus Reviews.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "Why Saying 'Like' a Lot Is Like, Actually a Good Thing". Time. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  18. ^ Amanda Montell (2018-10-30). "Meet the Witches Casting a Spell on Your Insta". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  19. ^ "Working From Home Tips: How to Be Productive When You Freelance". domino. 2019-11-22. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  20. ^ "Why Some People Hate The Words "Husband" & "Wife"". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  21. ^ "Amanda Montell Talks Wordslut, Her Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language". pastemagazine.com. 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  22. ^ "The Dirty Word reveals where the word "feminism" actually comes from". HelloGiggles. Retrieved 2019-12-15.

External links[edit]