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William Targ

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233:, William Targ wrote: "Print can be as beautiful as music; it has the power to move, it is as volatile as stage magic. As a typophile and bookman, now on my own, I look more closely into the genius and works of the men and women who enriched our lives with beautiful books. I observe closely the contemporary typographic scene, the people engaged with the magical 26 letters by which we live... I don't think the private press printer will save the world; but I think that if we are seeking the pure of heart and a wholesome commitment, such a person may be found more readily beside a hand press than, say, in an 214:—each book a unique volume. As Targ wrote for his Targ Editions checklist: "Each of these books is individually designed (no two formats are alike) and they are produced by letter press and are hand-bound. The various printing papers are of high quality, and enduring—mainly of rag, and deckle-edged. The bindings are of pictorial or decorated boards, and or cloth over boards. Each book is signed by its author. The editions are limited to between 150 and 350 copies each." Copies of most of the Targ Editions volumes are housed in the 154:, places Targ's bookstore at 335 South Dearborn St. and describes Targ as a "slender kindly looking young-appearing man, with blueblack hair brushed straight back from a high forehead, distinct green-brown eyes, and tweed suit." Keeler dubs the bookstore "Chicago's one and only resort for so-called 'literati.'" 127:, Illinois, to Russian Jewish immigrants, Esther (Silverman) and Meyer Torgownik. His name was originally William Torgownik. A high-school dropout with a passion for books and 31: 277:
Abacus Now: Footnotes to Indecent Pleasures, & Observations on Fine Book Printing, Book-collecting, & Matters Personal, Including how to Survive in the Computer Age
186:. Targ sought to publish works by contemporary writers that had not been previously produced in book form. The twenty-five Targ Editions include works by 445: 238: 332: 450: 182:. After retiring from Putnam in 1978, he founded Targ Editions, a one-person operation he ran from his home in 440: 171:, "'The Godfather' turned out to be the most profitable single novel ever published by Putnam's and the 178:
Outside of the commercial realm, Targ was committed to the art of bookmanship and the ideals of the
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where, in 1968, he bought Puzo's novel for a $ 5000 advance. According to the
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Use this library search engine to locate copies of Targ Editions volumes.
195: 191: 284: 187: 99: 95: 246: 242: 172: 136: 66: 52: 140: 124: 91: 48: 292: 245:." William Targ died on July 22, 1999, at the age of 92, in his 30: 103: 414: 249:
home. He was survived by his wife, Roslyn, of Manhattan, a
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NYU's Fales Library Guide to the Targ Editions Archive
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From 1942 to 1964, Targ worked as an editor for the
422: 396:, March/April 2001, retrieved 1 September 2009 333:"William Targ, 'Godfather' Editor, Dies at 92" 94:, well respected in the field of commercial 90:(1907 – July 22, 1999) was an American book 175:rights were sold for more than $ 400,000." 327: 325: 323: 321: 319: 317: 315: 313: 29: 446:American people of Russian-Jewish descent 310: 423: 131:, Targ took a job as an office boy at 216:Fales Library and Special Collections 274: 261:; two grandchildren, one of whom is 13: 386:Distant Healing and Elisabeth Targ 135:when he was 18. He opened his own 118: 14: 462: 403: 229:In his own Targ Editions volume, 265:, and four great-grandchildren. 352: 1: 392:, Notes of a Fringe Watcher, 268: 139:at 22 in North Clark Street, 98:. He is known for publishing 7: 279:. New York: Targ Editions. 10: 467: 111:while editor in chief of 77: 59: 37: 28: 21: 239:House of Representatives 159:World Publishing Company 148:The Vanishing Gold Truck 275:Targ, William (1984). 451:American book editors 259:Palo Alto, California 152:Harry Stephen Keeler 133:Macmillan Publishers 129:letterpress printing 16:American book editor 441:People from Chicago 220:New York University 113:G. P. Putnam's Sons 394:Skeptical Inquirer 360:"FamilySearch.org" 235:advertising agency 200:Tennessee Williams 163:G.P. Putnam's Sons 150:, a 1941 novel by 184:Greenwich Village 123:Targ was born in 85: 84: 81:Editor, publisher 42:William Torgownik 458: 397: 383: 377: 376: 374: 372: 356: 350: 349: 347: 346: 329: 304: 146:Chapter XIII of 33: 19: 18: 466: 465: 461: 460: 459: 457: 456: 455: 421: 420: 406: 401: 400: 384: 380: 370: 368: 358: 357: 353: 344: 342: 331: 330: 311: 271: 121: 119:Life and career 73: 64: 55: 46: 44: 43: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 464: 454: 453: 448: 443: 438: 433: 419: 418: 412: 405: 404:External links 402: 399: 398: 390:Martin Gardner 378: 351: 338:New York Times 308: 307: 306: 305: 270: 267: 263:Elisabeth Targ 251:literary agent 168:New York Times 120: 117: 83: 82: 79: 75: 74: 65: 61: 57: 56: 47: 41: 39: 35: 34: 26: 25: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 463: 452: 449: 447: 444: 442: 439: 437: 434: 432: 429: 428: 426: 416: 413: 411: 408: 407: 395: 391: 387: 382: 367: 366: 361: 355: 340: 339: 334: 328: 326: 324: 322: 320: 318: 316: 314: 309: 302: 298: 294: 290: 286: 282: 278: 273: 272: 266: 264: 260: 256: 252: 248: 244: 241:—or in 240: 236: 232: 227: 225: 224:Bobst Library 221: 217: 213: 212:Norman Mailer 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 189: 185: 181: 180:private press 176: 174: 170: 169: 164: 160: 155: 153: 149: 144: 142: 138: 134: 130: 126: 116: 114: 110: 109: 108:The Godfather 105: 101: 97: 93: 89: 80: 78:Occupation(s) 76: 72: 68: 63:July 22, 1999 62: 58: 54: 50: 40: 36: 32: 27: 20: 381: 369:. Retrieved 365:FamilySearch 363: 354: 343:. Retrieved 341:. 1999-07-25 336: 276: 230: 228: 208:Ray Bradbury 204:Isaac Asimov 177: 166: 156: 147: 145: 122: 106: 88:William Targ 87: 86: 23:William Targ 436:1999 deaths 431:1907 births 196:Saul Bellow 192:John Updike 425:Categories 345:2008-08-18 285:B001A7Z5UC 269:References 237:or in the 231:Abacus Now 188:Henry Roth 100:Mario Puzo 96:publishing 253:; a son, 247:Manhattan 243:City Hall 222:'s (NYU) 173:paperback 137:bookstore 67:Manhattan 301:12694456 293:85119408 71:New York 53:Illinois 371:15 July 255:Russell 141:Chicago 125:Chicago 49:Chicago 415:Bobcat 299:  291:  283:  210:, and 92:editor 257:, of 104:novel 373:2023 297:OCLC 289:LCCN 281:ASIN 60:Died 45:1907 38:Born 218:at 143:. 102:'s 427:: 388:, 362:. 335:. 312:^ 295:. 287:. 226:. 206:, 202:, 198:, 194:, 190:, 115:. 69:, 51:, 375:. 348:. 303:.

Index


Chicago
Illinois
Manhattan
New York
editor
publishing
Mario Puzo
novel
The Godfather
G. P. Putnam's Sons
Chicago
letterpress printing
Macmillan Publishers
bookstore
Chicago
Harry Stephen Keeler
World Publishing Company
G.P. Putnam's Sons
New York Times
paperback
private press
Greenwich Village
Henry Roth
John Updike
Saul Bellow
Tennessee Williams
Isaac Asimov
Ray Bradbury
Norman Mailer

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