# Is "Adam & Eve & The City" by William Carlos Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Adam & Eve & The City by William Carlos Williams (The Alcestis Press, 1936) is identified by: First edition, one of a small limited run issued by Ronald Lane Latimer's Alcestis Press (commonly cited at 167 copies). US Alcestis Press limited; no prior or competing edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, one of a small limited run issued by Ronald Lane Latimer's Alcestis Press (commonly cited at 167 copies)
- A fine-press limited from a press that produced fewer than ten books in its short life
- Publisher imprint reads The Alcestis Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Carlos Williams |
| Publisher | The Alcestis Press |
| Year | 1936 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, one of a small limited run issued by Ronald Lane Latimer's Alcestis Press… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, one of a small limited run issued by Ronald Lane Latimer's Alcestis Press (commonly cited at 167 copies). A fine-press limited from a press that produced fewer than ten books in its short life. Scarce.

## Is this the true first?
US Alcestis Press limited; no prior or competing edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Adam & Eve & The City* by William Carlos Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/adam-eve-the-city
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.