Born and raised in Montreal, Devon studied medieval Judeo-Portuguese manuscripts and earned a PhD in Linguistics from Cornell University before pursuing radio professionally. Since then he has been the primary studio producer for Philosophy Talk, while also contributing as a writer, editor, occasional Roving Philosophical Reporter, and manager of the program's day-to-day operations. Devon has helped produce other national radio features including The Protest Singer: An Intimate Portrait of Pete Seeger, Woodstock 40 Years On, and in association with the Library of Congress, the Peabody Award-winning Inside the National Recording Registry. He also contributes regularly to the nationally-syndicated The Bluesmobile with Elwood Blues and hosts his own weekly blues show, Fog City Blues, on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco.