(This is part one of a two-part series about the literary work and life of Ashfield resident Hilary Sloin, who died in 2019.)

Hilary Sloin was filled with artistic genius, and it’s heartbreaking to consider what was lost when the local creative force took her own life in 2019. Thanks to a trio of friends, Sloin’s stunning insights and quirky wit are now available to readers who wish to explore her exquisite short stories and essays. A collection of Sloin’s work was recently published under the title “The Cure for Unhappiness” and introduced at an event that drew people from around the country. A few months ago, the New England Visionary Artists Museum in Northampton was packed with friends and fans inspired by Sloin’s craft.

Sloin moved to Northampton in the early ‘90s and later lived in Ashfield, where she operated Stray Dog Antiques. After Sloin’s death, friends Meredith Rose, Revan Schendler, and Barb Hadden formed the Stray Dog Collective to bring Sloin’s work to the public. All three women were deeply affected by associating with Sloin as a friend and fellow artist, and were inspired by her colorful yet troubled life.

Despite decades of intense, intermittent struggles, Sloin’s work is shot through with humor and elan. “Barb (Hadden) introduced me to Hilary in the early 2000s,” said Schendler. “Hilary and I became writing buddies, exchanging work and offering each other suggestions.” Schendler said it wasn’t unusual for Sloin to complete two or three stories per week. “Hilary was a story factory. She had unbelievable creative mental capacity, and we had a productive, inspiring exchange for many years.”

When Sloin showed Schendler a manuscript she was working on, Schendler recognized the writing as extraordinary and shared it with former colleagues in the publishing world. “Hilary wasn’t well known, nor was she young,” said Schendler, “so it didn’t take.” Nonetheless, Sloin’s work garnered attention in various literary circles.

Born and raised near New Haven, Connecticut, in a working class Jewish family, Sloin studied creative writing at Marlboro College and completed an NYU graduate program in playwriting. Her first major play, “Lust and Pity,” used dark humor to address themes of love, jealousy, lesbianism, and suicide; productions received accolades in venues around the country. The sole book Sloin completed during her lifetime became something of a cult classic: “Art on Fire” is pseudo-biographic in form, yet ironically won a literary prize in nonfiction.

Schendler is no stranger to connecting with people who are struggling, having worked as an educator and advocate for incarcerated individuals and those readjusting to society. She’s candid about the challenges of proximity to intense mental distress, and recognizes art as a tool for coping and healing. “Literature is needed to address extreme parts of human experience,” Schendler said. “It’s important to communicate life’s darkness while also bringing to light how our culture generally doesn’t cultivate or support exceptionally talented people.” For Schendler, Sloin’s “compassionate comedy” was striking. “Hilary’s laugh-out-loud humor makes the sharpness of her vision bearable.”

Members of the Stray Dog Collective are all talented artists in their own right, and they brought about a love story of epic proportions by collaborating to honor the work of their late friend. “I wanted to do a book from the get-go,” said Barb Hadden. “At Hilary’s memorial [service], I kept thinking about how she’d been working on a collection of stories for a long time. I knew the book was close to completion and wanted to see it through. Fortunately, Revan and Meredith are both very skilled in publishing.”

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Hadden met Sloin in 2006 and found her to be a wonderful friend and complex person. “Hilary claimed not to have an affinity for kids, yet I noticed that whenever she met a young person, she shared their curiosity and playfulness. Kids adored Hilary because she had an excellent sense of humor. Since Hilary’s death, I haven’t laughed nearly as much.” Hadden’s striking artwork, which can be found in many galleries and on the internet, graces the cover of “The Cure for Unhappiness.” Born in Germany and raised in Europe and the Middle East, Hadden is well-known for her painting and photography.

“I’m drawn to people who are super creative,” Hadden said. “Often, they don’t fit easily into our society. Mental health struggles can have roots in biology and heredity, but also result from living in our crazy world. The creativity that can emerge from those struggles is incredible.” Sloin’sAshfield home became a haven for Hadden. “We shared meals, movies, dog walks, and jokes. It wasn’t always easy to be Hilary’s friend, but it was easy to want to remain her friend. It was difficult, but worth it.”

Meredith Rose earned an MFA in creative writing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has had stories published in a number of literary journals. She began a decades-long friendship with Sloin while living in western Mass, and after Rose moved to California in 1996, the two maintained a close bond through extended annual visits. Rose found it painful to read Sloin’s short stories and essays to prepare them for publication: ”Hil’s stories are filled with ambivalence. Many of (the characters) are on the edge, economically and in other ways. The stories reveal how Hil thought about the world and often feature people who are fooling themselves, yet in almost every case there’s a crack where some light shines through.”

Rose considered Sloin a creative genius. ”Hil wrote plays, short stories, novels, and poetry … she played guitar, piano, and accordion … she painted, worked in ceramics, refinished furniture, and was skilled at knitting…she was a creative juggernaut. She wanted to make the world more beautiful through art, and she couldn’t help but be the artist she was. But being an artist is low on the list of priorities in our society.” Rose said that Sloin “remained productive throughout her illness. She was a beautiful and compassionate person, and she had a wry way of looking at our complex world.”

Part two of this story will appear in the May 17 Recorder.

Eveline MacDougall is the author of “Fiery Hope.” To contact her: eveline@amandlachorus.org.