Summary

In Chapter 1, 24-year-old Ryan Speedo Green felt like an outsider at the New York Metropolitan Opera House. He was from a low-income family, and, moreover, he was black.

He reminisced about his father, Cecil Green, whom he had seen only a handful of times since he was four. When Ryan recently called him, he promised travel to New York from California to see him perform.

Ryan had chosen to perform Banquo’s aria from Verdi’s opera based on “Macbeth.” He studied a version on YouTube that portrayed Banquo, a father, earnestly trying to protect his son and showing loving protection, eventually sacrificing himself so his son’s life could be spared.

Ryan continued thinking about his father. He remembered being told that his father had met Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ryan remembered watching “Terminator 2” with him. After that, Ryan had watched every Schwarzenegger movie...