Hard Knox with Amanda Knox

Dessa is a genre-defying rapper, writer, poet and thinker. In this sharp and witty conversation she talks with Amanda about why being a “good person” so much messier than it sounds, moral hangovers, the science of heartbreak, and what it means to live thoughtfully in a world that rewards hot takes and hustle. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @aman...

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. Chris Ballew never expected or even particularly wanted mainstream success. But when his band, the Presidents of the United States of America, hit it big, he had to reckon with what success meant to him and figure out how to say no when ev...

In this episode, Amanda explores how to navigate conflict without getting trapped in outrage cycles, and why responding with intention matters more than always being right. She shares how power dynamics shape the way we speak up, and why the choice to let something go can be just as meaningful as the decision to push back. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠...

Rick Steves is a renowned travel writer, television host, and guidebook author known for turning tourism into a tool for cultural connection, personal growth, and global citizenship. In this episode, Rick Steves shares how decades of exploring the world have shaped his values, his politics, and his understanding of what makes life meaningful. He and Amanda talk about finding joy in discomfort, why...

Simon Tam shares how naming his band “The Slants” launched him into a decade-long legal battle over identity, free speech, and what it means to reclaim power. He and Amanda explore why owning the narrative is a form of resistance and what happens when activism becomes art—and vice versa. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky:...

How do you let go of control when survival once depended on it? In this candid and searching conversation, world-renowned mountaineer Melissa Arnot talks with Amanda about the tension between self-reliance and vulnerability, what Everest taught her about fear and identity, and why the real challenge begins after the climb. Together they explore the limits of resilience, the myth of mastery, and ho...

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. Twenty years ago, Roz Savage was a management consultant living in London with her husband. From the outside, it looked like a good life, but Roz was miserable. Until she blew up that life and found a new one on the other side of the ocean...

Amanda reflects on what it really means to be an adult, how to foster trust without control, and why setting boundaries that keep kids safe doesn't mean clipping their wings. She also shares her “thrift store mindset” for navigating life that explains why letting go of rigid expectations makes room for surprise, gratitude, and a mushroom-shaped lamp you didn’t know you needed. Reach out to us at ⁠...

Why are Iranian women leading the fight for freedom—and how have they sustained that fight for over four decades? In this powerful conversation, Zahra Amanpour shares how her life was shaped by the Iranian resistance after her father was executed by the regime, and why she believes women must be at the forefront of revolution. Amanda and Zahra explore how faith can be both weaponized and reclaimed...

In this episode of Ask Amanda Anything, Amanda discusses Rudy Guede's new trial and why she no longer needs to confront her friend’s killer to find peace. She also shares how learning Italian in prison—from a Harry Potter book and a borrowed dictionary—became an unlikely act of agency and self-preservation. Along the way, Amanda explains why police deception undermines justice, how storytelling ca...

Sex advice legend Dan Savage joins Amanda for a conversation about desire, trauma, and why our culture still freaks out over butt stuff. They dig into why shame is boring, why marriage isn’t sacred, and how telling the truth about your sex life might just be the most liberating thing you can do. Reach out to us at ⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠ or ⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Blue...

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 1977, Roman Polanski raped 13-year old Samantha Geimer. But strangely, the rape itself wasn't as bad as what followed. Amanda and Chris join Samantha to sift through the trauma of thirty years of exploitation by the justice system and t...

In the first episode of Ask Amanda Anything, Amanda opens up about everything from the gendered double standards in her wrongful conviction to that time a comedian blindsided her with a lazy murder joke—while she was in the audience. She shares how trauma shaped her instinct to live in crisis mode, how meditation and stand-up helped her reset, and why she’s finally learning to trust the calm witho...

Marcia Clark is a former prosecutor best known for leading the O.J. Simpson trial. Today, she’s a bestselling crime novelist and legal commentator with sharp insights into justice, media, and what it means to be a woman in the public eye. In this episode of Hard Knox, Marcia shares what she’s learned about the human tendency to reduce people to heroes or villains. She breaks down why complexity ma...

After years of telling stories—my own and others—I realized I wanted to spend more time on the ideas underneath the narrative arcs. So I’m launching Hard Knox, a space to think out loud about what hardship teaches us, what justice demands of us, and how we live with what we can’t undo. You don't have to be stuck in a prison cell to feel trapped in your own life, but we can all turn adversity into...

After five years of exploring life’s twists, turns, and dead ends, Amanda and Chris are wrapping up Labyrinths—but not without one last walk down memory lane. From celebrity guests to mushroom trips, miscarriages to moral dilemmas, they revisit some of their favorite moments and biggest lessons. It’s a heartfelt send-off to a podcast that was never afraid to get lost. And a teaser for what is comi...

Dr. Itiel Dror is used to facing resistance to his work. It comes with the territory when you're a neuroscientist studying cognitive bias in experts: no one wants to believe they have biases they're not aware of. But the pushback to a paper he published last year was extreme even by Dr. Dror's standards. After the paper came out, the ensuing backlash even threatened his job. Check out Dr. Dror's l...

Amanda and Chris explore the emotional complexity of saying goodbye, unpacking why goodbyes can be so difficult, the rituals that help us let go, and how fear of the unknown often keeps us stuck. From awkward Irish exits to dramatic farewell hugs, breakups to burritos, they explore why letting go can be so hard… and sometimes weird. It’s a fond farewell to one chapter, and a wink at what’s coming...

Dr. Aleksandra Treglown has spent years listening to children recount the worst moments of their lives—only to watch their truths be ignored. In this episode, she reveals how disbelief—by courts, by law enforcement, and by the public—is not just a barrier to justice, but a form of systemic violence against women and children. Through her research and frontline work, she exposes the devastating pow...

Emily Wilson traveled the world over the course of her modeling career. But one photoshoot always...haunted her. She was accustomed to be valued for her beauty, but that fateful day, she was used as a weapon. Find Emily on Instagram @emilykatwilson https://www.patreon.com/knoxrobinson⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: @amandaknox.com | @wisecracker.bsky.social IG: ⁠⁠⁠@amamaknox⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠...

Amanda and Chris return from yet another whirlwind of work and travel to ask: can you really have work-life balance when your life is your work? In this episode, they dig into the tension between ambition and presence, the creative curse of never switching off, and what happens when your business partner is also your spouse. We would love to hear your thoughts on the matter! Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠...

Stephanie Kemmerer spent years spiraling through conspiracy theories—from 9/11 truthers to reptilian overlords—before a single, personal conversation snapped her back to reality. Her journey through the world of conspiracy theories reveals how trauma, alienation, and the search for meaning can lead us deep into illusion. In this conversation, she reflects on the allure of certainty, the cost of di...

When defense attorneys Shannon Smith and Molly Blythe agreed to represent Olympic doctor Larry Nassar, who pled guilty to sexually abusing young gymnasts, they were accused of betraying womankind. https://www.patreon.com/knoxrobinson⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠ Bluesky: @amandaknox.com | @wisecracker.bsky.social IG: ⁠⁠@amamaknox⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠@emceecarbon⁠⁠ Free: My Search for Meaning: https://www.ha...

Amanda and Chris go head-to-head on the great screen-time debate. Are games a mindless escape or a meaningful form of play, connection, and creativity? From parenting dilemmas to personal guilt, they unpack the emotional baggage around zoning out, tuning in, and what it means to spend our time well. We would love to hear your thoughts on the matter! Reach out to us at ⁠⁠https://www.amandaknox.com⁠...

Ashley Spence’s life was shattered at 19 after a violent assault by a stranger—but that’s not where her story ends. In this episode, she shares how she navigated years of fear, silence, and self-destruction before finding healing, reconnecting with her body, and ultimately testifying in court to help put her attacker away. It’s a story of quiet resilience, the power of community, and the journey b...