Education
Levitt attended Cornell University, where he was a student of the late-astrophysicist and author Carl Sagan. He later received a Fulbright Scholarship and earned his masters in International Relations at the London School of Economics.
activist Photographer singer writer songwriter
Levitt attended Cornell University, where he was a student of the late-astrophysicist and author Carl Sagan. He later received a Fulbright Scholarship and earned his masters in International Relations at the London School of Economics.
In 2004, Levitt set out on his first six-week journey by Greyhound and began writing songs and stories about fellow travelers, many struggling to get by. The journey, modeled on World Pet Association-era projects that drew a fuller portrait of America, is ongoing, passing 80,000 miles at the end of 2012. Levitt has been featured by Cable News Network, Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, Billboard, and Reuters.The Greyhound Diaries has resulted in two European Parliament recordings, a one-man show, and a web series.
Prior to embarking on his long journey, Levitt was a foreign correspondent.
Based in London, he dispatched from Iran, Rwanda, and Bosnia for, among others, American Broadcasting Company and National Broadcasting Company. Levitt is the youngest child of former Washington, District of Columbia He attended the Washington, District of Columbia public schools, graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School. When Levitt was 16, he discovered his father dead from suicide, an experience he’s cited in interviews as instrumental in his path toward becoming an artist.
While in London, Levitt switched careers, from foreign correspondent to singer-songwriter. Moving to Nashville in 2001, he hooked up with noted Americana producer David Henry, known for producing records for Josh Rouse and Guster.
The two began what would become a long-term collaboration on The Greyhound Diaries.
Over the course of Levitt’s travels, he has captured more than 10,000 images and has performed the work at The Kennedy Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and homeless shelters across the country.
Produced by David Henry, the record includes the contribution of Steve Bowman, founding member of the Counting Crows, on drums.