Mykki Blanco: Calvin. Lorna. Maura. Bjarne.

"Calvin. Lorna. Maura. Bjarne" is an ever evolving written work by artist & musician Mykki Blanco. Conceived during a writing residency at Hordaland Kunstsenter in Bergen Norway in September and October of 2017, "Calvin. Lorna. Maura. Bjarne" is both a performance art work and the beginning of a novel. The first installment of the work is a 40 minute excerpt from the story recorded as an audio-book and podcast that one can listen to at leisure. Originally performed in front of a live audience Mykki Blanco orates the story in a theatrical fashion reminiscent and inspired by equal parts the late Spalding Gray and William Burroughs. "Calvin. Lorna. Maura. Bjarne" is narrated by Calvin the main character, a thirty something HIV positive African American actor. The story is used in many ways by Blanco to redefine narratives surrounding HIV, giving a contemporary vantage point on the disease that differs greatly from much of the fatalistic rhetoric that still surrounds those living with the condition in the 21s