

Hard Knox with Amanda Knox
Knox Robinson Productions
You don't have to be stuck in a prison cell to feel trapped in your own life. Drawing on her extraordinary journey, Amanda Knox explores how we make sense of struggle, truth, and change in a world that constantly tests us. In conversations with writers, thinkers, and creators Hard Knox dives into the ideas and experiences that help us grow more grounded, thoughtful, and free.
Each week, subscribers also have a chance to Ask Amanda Anything. Amanda is here to answer your questions, about her, about you, about how to lead a more fulfilling life. And nothing is off the table!
To submit your questions and comments, subscribe at www.amandaknox.substack.com, where you’ll also gain access to ad-free and bonus episodes, subscriber-only essays, and more.
www.amandaknox.com
Twitter: @amandaknox
IG: @amamaknox
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Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 28, 2025 • 1h 3min
The Satanic Panic – How Pop Culture Got Possessed (Sarah Marshall)
Sarah Marshall is a writer and podcaster, best known as the cohost of You're Wrong About and creator of The Devil You Know, a CBC podcast series exploring the Satanic Panic which explores how a wave of moral hysteria in the 1980s fused pop culture, politics, and fear into an era where heavy metal lyrics and daycare centers became symbols of evil. In today's episode she and Amanda discuss why this moment still echoes today in new forms of conspiracy thinking, and how looking back helps us understand the stories we tell to feel safe—and the ones that turn us against each other.
Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com
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Free: My Search for Meaning
Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 23, 2025 • 37min
Ask Amanda Anything - Young Love, Oversharing, Presence
In this week's episode Amanda relfects on how to tell your story while protecting a teenager’s privacy, why intentional oversharing can build connection, and how Zen, Nonviolent Communication, and even a near dog scam teach everyday resilience.
Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com
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Free: My Search for Meaning
Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 snips
Oct 21, 2025 • 1h 10min
How Hyperpersuasion Hijacks Free Will (Rebecca Lemov)
Rebecca Lemov, historian of science and author of *The Instability of Truth*, delves into the complex world of brainwashing and coercive persuasion. She reveals how intelligence fails to shield us from manipulation and highlights the vulnerability created by moments of 'ungrounding.' Lemov discusses the societal stigma that silences survivors and examines how institutions can resemble cults in their dynamics. The conversation encourages self-examination and empathy, emphasizing the need for emotional and intellectual discernment in a world flooded with information.

Oct 17, 2025 • 49min
Old School: Excellent Advice for Living (Kevin Kelly)
There's some wisdom you can only find when you're lost, which has led Kevin Kelly, senior Maverick and co-founder Wired magazine, to get lost intentionally through decades of travelling. Along the way, he's collected some gems of wisdom and invented many of his own. Kevin Kelly is the author of Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier.
Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com
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Free: My Search for Meaning
Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 16, 2025 • 46min
Ask Amanda Anything - Star Trek Uniforms, Gaslighting, Disengagement
A deep dive into the complexities of memory and truth takes center stage as boundaries in family dynamics are explored. Amanda shares insights on identifying narcissistic behaviors and setting emotional limits. She encourages listeners to choose understanding over conflict when discussing differing beliefs with loved ones. Plus, a whimsical discussion about living in preferred fictional universes sparks imaginations. The conversation blends personal experience with broader truths, making it both insightful and relatable.

Oct 14, 2025 • 60min
Why Fear Is the Worst Parenting Strategy (Emily Oster)
Emily Oster is an economist, bestselling author, and creator of Parent Data, where she uses research to cut through fear-driven myths about pregnancy and parenting. In this episode she discusses how data and boundaries help us make better choices when there’s no way to guarantee an outcome, why treating everyone—including toddlers, teenagers, and even adults—like they need both love and limits leads to resilience and how parenting can reveal universal lessons about responsibility, connection, and growth.
Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com
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Free: My Search for Meaning
Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 9, 2025 • 46min
Ask Amanda Anything - Punchlines, Pain, Permission
The discussion dives into the complex relationship between trauma and humor—how to laugh without dismissing the pain. Amanda addresses societal expectations of grace from those who’ve suffered and the value of being authentically messy. Topics of meaningful possessions versus digitization spark a debate on what truly matters in emergencies. Listeners ponder career choices, weighing passion against practicality, while Amanda reflects on her alternate life paths. Lastly, her experience of seeing her younger self portrayed on screen adds an intriguing twist.

Oct 7, 2025 • 58min
Why Comedy Is the Last Refuge of the Honest (Michael Moynihan)
Michael Moynihan is a journalist, co-host of The Fifth Column podcast, and a writer known for his unflinching takes on politics, culture, and free expression. In this episode, he and Amanda discuss how satire and skepticism cut through today’s noise, why outrage has become the default language of public life and how to keep your sense of humor intact when the world seems determined to lose its mind.
Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com
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Free: My Search for Meaning
Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 3, 2025 • 1h 3min
Old School: Lost in Faith (Megan Phelps-Roper)
Welcome to Old School, where we revisit some of our best episodes from previous years with some current reflections on why these episodes are still fascinating. In this “Old School” episode, Megan Phelps-Roper talks with Amanda about her upbringing in and departure from the Westboro Baptist Church. What does it mean to be lost in faith, to lose our faith in an ideology or in a person, and how do we find our balance in aftermath?
Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com
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Free: My Search for Meaning
Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 2, 2025 • 43min
Ask Amanda Anything – Stand-Up, Trust, and Dating After Notoriety
This week on Ask Amanda Anything: From prison letters to public scrutiny, Amanda reflects on trust, resilience, and what it means to be seen. She shares her take on Kim Kardashian’s surprising role in criminal justice reform, the philosophy behind her Waking Up series, and why some bonds from prison endure while others fade. Along the way: lessons from stand-up comedy, the challenges of dating under the shadow of notoriety, and the bittersweet experience of letting go after years spent creating The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox.
Reach out to us at www.amandaknox.com or amandaknox.substack.com
X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @amandaknox.com
Free: My Search for Meaning
Waking Up Meditation App https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


