▁[ all ▁we ▁did ▁was ] ▁talk ▁books , ▁and ▁nobody ▁liked ▁him -- my ▁family ▁least ▁of ▁all . ▁But ▁I ▁did , ▁because ▁I ▁had ▁someone ▁to ▁talk ▁books ▁to ▁and ▁we ▁talked ▁of ▁making ▁books ... We ▁decided ▁we ▁would ▁get ▁married ▁and ▁make ▁books ▁and ▁publish ▁them ." ▁Alfred ▁and ▁Bl anche ▁were ▁married ▁on ▁April ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 6 . ▁ ▁Kn opf ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁cl erk ▁at ▁Double day ▁( 1 9 1 2 – 1 9 1 3 ), ▁then ▁as ▁an ▁editor ial ▁assistant ▁to ▁Mitchell ▁Ken ner ley ▁( 1 9 1 4 ). ▁ ▁Kn opf , ▁along ▁with ▁Bl anche ▁Kn opf , ▁founded ▁the ▁publishing ▁house , ▁Alfred ▁A . ▁Kn opf ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁The ▁company ▁initially ▁emphas ized ▁European , ▁especially ▁Russian , ▁literature , ▁hence ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁the ▁bor zo i ▁as ▁a ▁col oph on . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁European ▁literature ▁was ▁largely ▁neglect ed ▁by ▁American ▁publish ers ; ▁Kn opf ▁published ▁authors ▁such ▁as ▁Sim one ▁de ▁Beau voir , ▁Albert ▁Cam us , ▁Joseph ▁Con rad , ▁E . ▁M . ▁For ster , ▁Sig mund ▁Fre ud , ▁André ▁G ide , ▁Franz ▁K afka , ▁D . ▁H . ▁Lawrence , ▁Thomas ▁Mann , ▁W . ▁Som erset ▁M aug ham , ▁T . F ▁Pow ys , ▁Wy nd ham ▁Lewis ▁and ▁Jean - Paul ▁S art re . ▁While ▁Bl