Allan Kornblum, founder and senior editor of Minneapolis-based Coffee House Press, was honored with the Kay Sexton Award at the 24th annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala. Throughout his trailblazing, 40-year career in publishing, Kornblum has exemplified everything the Sexton Award stands for.
“Allan has come to represent, both to those within publishing and those outside it, the spirit of independence and the single-minded pursuit of artistic integrity,” said Fiona McCrae, Director and Publisher of Graywolf Press.
In 1973, Kornblum founded a small mimeograph periodical in Iowa City, Iowa that evolved into Toothpaste Press, a publishing house specializing in the production of high-quality poetry and short fiction letterpress chapbooks.
Kornblum’s affiliation with the vibrant Minnesota publishing scene began in the mid-1980s, when he transferred operations from Iowa to Minneapolis. In addition to that change of venue, Kornblum renamed and reincorporated the organization as a non-profit, Coffee House Press.
At a time when loose editing and production standards were the norm, Kornblum made strides toward the professionalism that typifies the industry today. That included shifting from letterpress to offset printing, using computerized typesetting, and improving the marketing and distribution of new titles. Those changes allowed Coffee House to reach a wider audience, which in turn allowed showcased authors – who may not have gained traction in the larger New York world of publishing – the opportunity to find the readers they deserved.
Coffee House is now among the premier non-profit publishers of its size in the country. To date, it has published more than 300 books – with 250 of those titles still in print. Its repertoire includes eight past Minnesota Book Award winners, the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award recipient (Kao Kalia Yang’s The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir), and two National Book Award finalists: Patricia Smith’s Blood Dazzler in 2008, and Karen Tei Yamashita’s I Hotel in 2010. At present, the press publishes between 15 and 20 new titles each year and receives upwards of 3,000 submissions annually.
In 1997, Allan received an American Book Award for his contributions to literature and publishing. In summer 2011, after a gradual transition period, Kornblum passed many of his day-to-day tasks to successors within the organization. However, he is still very much involved with its continued success as senior editor and ex officio member of the board of directors.
Books: Coffee House Press’ Kornblum “thrilled” by Kay Sexton Award
Pioneer Press, February 27, 2012, by Mary Ann Grossmann
Allan Kornblum was still smiling Monday after being told last week he won the Minnesota Book Awards Kay Sexton award. Kornblum, founder/senior editor of Minneapolis-based Coffee House Press, earned the honor for nearly 30 years of dedication to the Minnesota literary community and fostering books and reading. “I am thrilled about this,” Kornblum said. “It’s a nice plus in a rough period since I’ve been undergoing monthly chemo for leukemia.” With four treatments left, Kornblum says he hasn’t had any bad effects, although he gets tired. READ MORE>>
Coffee House Press’ Allan Kornblum receives Kay Sexton Award
MPR’s State of the Arts – February 24, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Allan Kornblum, the founder and long-time editor-in-chief of Coffee House Press, will be honored for his dedication to fostering books and reading at this year’s Minnesota Book Awards in April. Kornblum only recently stepped down from his leadership position at the press, which is one of the most successful independent literary presses in the country. He is still on staff in the position of senior editor. READ MORE>>
Coffee House founder winner of Sexton Award
Star Tribune, February 24, 2012, by Laurie Hertzel
It all started, Allan Kornblum says, with a kick in the butt. Back when he was in college in New York, he helped collate the pages of a poetry magazine, and then went to the editor and asked if he could show him some poems. “And the editor kind of stared off in the distance and said, ‘I’ve always thought poetry should be as hard to break into as the longshoreman’s union,'” Kornblum said. Unfazed by the rejection, he decided, “I’m going to start a little magazine.'” READ MORE>>