Meeting “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali while on assignment in Los Angeles. I was so excited I forgot to take the pen out of my hand when we shook for the photo.

College grads take note — this is the best way to get a jump start on one’s career. Work for free and make them need you. The intensive internship kicked off my wide and varied “have pen will travel” career as a writer. Highlights during this time: An unscheduled stop in Cuba, where I was stuck for eight days during the infamous Mariel Freedom Flotilla; a week-long stint as a high school football player for an undercover assignment; and a whole lot of dead bodies that littered the city during the height of the Cocaine Cowboy wars. This Miami sojourn (1975-1989) provided the setting for Saw, the third installment of The Chandler Chronicles.