The founder and senior editor of Coffee House Press, Allan Kornblum (1949-2014), has died. After founding what was called Toothpaste Press in a friend’s garage in 1972, Kornblum changed the name to Coffee House Press and brought the operation to Minnesota, where it became what it is today: a major and successful independent publisher of literature with over 400 books published. Coffee House Press, dedicated to publishing established as well as emerging writers, became a publishing home for work by Karen Tei Yamashita, Patricia Smith, Anne Waldman, Victor Hernandez Cruz, Brian Evenson, and many others.

“Allan’s influence extended beyond the books he worked on—for forty-two years he championed new voices and new publishers and fought tirelessly to get them the attention they deserve,” wrote Chris Fishbach, publisher of Coffee House Press, in a message announcing Kornblum’s passing on the Coffee House website. “It was a lifetime of service not only to literature but also to the field of publishing… I will miss him.”

“Many Minnesota writers owe their careers to Allan,” wrote Jerod Santek, member of AWP’s Board of Trustees and executive director of Write On, Door County in Wisconsin. “The Twin Cities’ reputation as a leader in nonprofit literary publishing owes much to Allan Kornblum and Coffee House Press.”

Coffee House Press announced plans to publicly celebrate Kornblum’s life in 2015. He is survived by his wife, Cinda, and their two daughters. Read Chris Fishbach’s message, which includes a poem by William Carlos Williams, at coffeehousepress.org.