Allan Kornblum, founder of Coffee House Press, dead at 65; launched press in 1984

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The founder of Coffee House Press, described as one of the premier non-profit literary publishers in the nation, has died at age 65.

Allan Kornblum was diagnosed with leukemia in 2006 and died at his home in St. Paul on Sunday, according to his family.

Acquaintances described Kornblum as a poet, mentor, editor, teacher, master of the letterpress and scholar of the history of publishing.

His wife, Cinda Kornblum, told the Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/1vFogdt ) her husband wanted to keep working and editing, and would never be done with everything he had to do.

Kornblum launched Coffee House Press in 1984. Publisher Chris Fischbach says Kornblum was particularly interested in writers who crossed boundaries in form and culture, so such Karen Tei Yamashita, Alexs Pate and Ron Padgett.

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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com