Questionnaire #8: With Jillian Butler Founding Editor-in-Chief of Provocateur: A Literary Magazine (2013)

*Note: I had some difficulty in tracking down editors pre-2016 of The Watermark, and began to investigate sideways. Jillian butler was a student at UMass Pre-2016 (as early as 2013, based on their Editor’s note for the magazine they founded, Provocateur: A Literary Magazine.)Their publication was mentioned far earlier in this work as being advertized in The Watermark and I thought this lateral publication provides insight into representational tensions and material choices, and demonstrates that even non-Watermark publications in the Golden Age period could find success (I have, in all my years as a student, never seen a student publication for sale at the campus bookstore) in the campus ecology. 

Furthermore, there are currently two copies left of this journal that I can find. Both are in my personal collection. Jill, like me, appears to have been a long-term UMass student, doing their undergrad and graduate educations here, meaning they could have spent up to seven plus years on campus. 

Question #1 Can you please introduce yourself, and tell me about your time at UMass? How long were you there, and what did you study?

1. My name is Jill Butler. I am a writer, a mother, and a high school English teacher. I completed both undergraduate and graduate study at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where I first majored in Theater Studies with a concentration in dramatic literature and creative writing. I went on to earn a master’s degree in English with a focus on creative writing, followed by additional graduate work in secondary education.

Question #2: Tell me about your journal’s origins, as much as you are comfortable with. I believe you discuss it in your editor’s note, but how did Provocateur emerge as an idea? Did you find it was supported on campus?

1. During my time at UMass Boston, I took a publishing course with novelist Askold Melnyczuk in which we were tasked with developing original concepts for literary journals or magazines. The idea I ultimately pursued grew out of a workshop experience from the previous year. In that class, a peer responded to a short story I had written by suggesting that its focus on queer love and same-sex relationships was “too niche” and might alienate readers. That moment stayed with me. It raised questions about whose stories are considered universal, whose are marginalized, and how literary spaces can either limit or expand the scope of representation. My project became a direct response to that experience: a literary magazine committed to centering voices and narratives often dismissed as peripheral. The concept resonated with several of my classmates, who joined me in bringing it to life. With strong support from the campus community, the magazine gained a visible presence at UMass Boston, and for a time it was even carried in the university bookstore.

Question #3: How many copies did you print, if you can remember? I have found 2 copies on campus, in a grad lounge and a storage closet. How many more were there, if you can remember? How did you distribute these journals on campus, if at all? Did you sell any online, or else have a launch party on campus?

1. To launch the first issue, I funded and printed an initial run of 100 copies. Rather than distributing them for free, we chose to sell the magazine, treating it as a fully realized publication and giving the work the value we believed it deserved. We participated in several events during Boston Book Week, which gave us opportunities to share the magazine with a wider literary audience and build momentum around the project. Copies were sold at Calamus Bookstore in Boston, which has since closed, as well as through online orders.

Question #4: How did you find contributors? Was it a UMass Boston only network, or did you find writers from off of campus, as best you can remember? How central was UMass Boston to the journal, essentially. 

1. I sourced contributors from both within and beyond the university community. While the magazine featured work from several undergraduate writers, it also included pieces from contributors I connected with through personal networks and through relationships with members of the UMass Boston faculty.

Question #5: I know an advertisement was placed in one of the Watermark journals, and this is one of the ways that I found out about the existence of the journal. Can you talk about how you decided on placing the advertisement there? 

1. I had a friend that worked on the Watermark, so I figured that would be a great place to get support and some interest 

Question #6: Did you have much support from the English Department, or any figure / organization on campus, as you can remember? Did they ever provide funding assistance, mentorship, or other assistance? 

1. Askold Melnyczuk played an important role in supporting and guiding the project as it developed. I personally funded the initial printing costs, but the magazine was very much a collaborative effort. A wide circle of friends and peers contributed their time and expertise, particularly in graphic design and the structural layout of the journal.

Question #7: I would like to ask about the material of the journal. A lot of student publications are saddle stitched, held together by staples, but your journal is perfect bound like an actual book. Was this decision deliberate? 

1. That choice was intentional from the start. I knew that investing in higher production quality would increase the cost, but it mattered to me that the magazine feel substantial and lasting. I wanted it to have a sleek, book-like presence, something readers would want to hold onto rather than discard. Prioritizing that level of design and print quality reinforced the sense that the stories and voices within it deserved to be presented with care and respect.

Question #8: In as much detail as possible, can you tell me everything you remember about The Watermark, UMB's student run undergrad journal? 

1. I remember that many of my classmates volunteered for the journal. While I did not have much direct involvement with The Watermark during my undergraduate years, I did read it regularly. Copies were always available in the English Commons, and it was a visible part of the department’s creative community