# Is "Airplane Dreams: Compositions from Journals" by Allen Ginsberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Airplane Dreams: Compositions from Journals by Allen Ginsberg (House of Anansi, 1968) is identified by: House of Anansi (Toronto) first edition, 1968; this Canadian issue precedes. The 1968 Canadian House of Anansi issue is the true first edition; the City Lights issue is the first American edition of 1969 and follows it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- House of Anansi (Toronto) first edition, 1968; this Canadian issue precedes
- The City Lights issue is the first American edition and appeared in 1969, not simultaneously
- Many Anansi copies were seized by U.S. Customs under the Manufacturing Clause, and an errata/protest slip was included
- Publisher imprint reads House of Anansi
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Allen Ginsberg |
| Publisher | House of Anansi |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | Canadian edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | House of Anansi (Toronto) first edition, 1968; this Canadian issue precedes |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Wrappers. House of Anansi (Toronto) first edition, 1968; this Canadian issue precedes. The City Lights issue is the first American edition and appeared in 1969, not simultaneously. Many Anansi copies were seized by U.S. Customs under the Manufacturing Clause, and an errata/protest slip was included.

## Is this the true first?
The 1968 Canadian House of Anansi issue is the true first edition; the City Lights issue is the first American edition of 1969 and follows it.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Airplane Dreams: Compositions from Journals* by Allen Ginsberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/airplane-dreams-compositions-from-journals
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.