A 1996 Isthmus profile dubbed Levitan "The Player" in homage to his many involvements - local elected official, recurring quixotic candidate, committee member, labor arbitrator, journalist, critic, historian, radio and TV talk show host, noted authority on Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.
In a blurb for Levitan's lively 2006 tome, Madison: The Illustrated Sesquicentennial, historian Jack Holzhueter memorably noted the author's "prodigious enthusiasms and disaffections." This description applies more broadly to how Levitan relates to the world. He runs hot and cold, but never, bless him, lukewarm. His passion, his wit and even his anger have all helped make Madison a better place.
