Ashberry / Darger

Illustration by Henry Darger

John Ashberry's poem, Girls on the Run, is based on the immense illustrated novel of the now famous outsider artist, Henry Darger. It describes the adventures of the Vivians, Darger's heroic little girls who battle storms and demons in a strange dream world.

Ashberry's poem begins:
A great plane flew across the sun, and the girls ran along the ground. The sun shone on Mr. McPlaster's face, it was green like an elephant's.