I Picked Up A Call From An Unknown Number. I Was Stunned To Hear A Celebrity On The Other End Of The Phone.

“You gotta’ get out of that 818, Man.”

This is the first piece of advice I receive from a Hollywood literary agent over drinks at Barney’s Beanery. He’s talking about my area code. I’d been in Los Angeles for four days, and already, I was being told that I didn’t belong. My area code...