About Irene S. Levine, PhD,Writer/Producer, More Time to Travel
Irene S. Levine, PhD is an award-winning journalist, author, and blogger who has written many hundreds of articles—on health, mental health, travel and lifestyles—for some of the nation’s leading magazines, newspapers, newsletters and websites.
After a distinguished career as a psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and a decade of moonlighting as a freelance writer, feeling torn between two passions, she transitioned into her “second act” as a full-time travel writer.
Since 2018, she has been a regular contributor to Forbes.com/travel. Prior to that, she was a travel columnist for NBC Universal. travel She has written for the travel sections of the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and other major newspapers and print publications, including CruiseCritic, Flight Network, and PBS Next Avenue.
Irene is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the preeminent travel and tourism media association, and a member of the North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA), International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, American Psychological Association, and Authors Guild. Her articles and profiles have garnered a bevy of awards from professional travel writing associations, including an SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Award.
Irene has also remained involved in the field of mental health. She wrote her first solo book, Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend (Abrams) and then collaborated with her husband to write Schizophrenia for Dummies (Wiley).
With a colleague, she recently launched Friendship Rules, a new substack newsletter with advice on navigating the thorny issues associated with making and keeping friends.
About Jerome (Jerry) Levine, Photographer, More Time To Travel
Jerome Levine, MD, is Irene’s husband, travel companion and photographer. Jerry retired after a long career in research and public-sector psychiatry. Accompanying Irene’s stories, his photography has been published in national publications and online. He is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).
Their son, Andrew, is fully launched, working as a software engineer for a leading technology firm. Subsequently, Irene and Jerry, like many other over-50s, have more time to pursue their lifetime interests in travel.