# Is "Amazons (as Cleo Birdwell, pseudonymous)" by Don DeLillo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Amazons (as Cleo Birdwell, pseudonymous) by Don DeLillo (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1980) is identified by: Published under the pseudonym "Cleo Birdwell." The first printing is the collectible state; Holt went back for a second printing, so first-printing copies should be confirmed against the copyright page rather than assumed. US Holt, Rinehart and Winston is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Published under the pseudonym "Cleo Birdwell." The first printing is the collectible state
- Holt went back for a second printing, so first-printing copies should be confirmed against the copyright page rather than assumed
- DeLillo has never authorized a reissue, making the original hardcover the definitive edition
- Publisher imprint reads Holt, Rinehart and Winston
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Don DeLillo |
| Publisher | Holt, Rinehart and Winston |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Published under the pseudonym "Cleo Birdwell." The first printing is the collectible state |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Published under the pseudonym "Cleo Birdwell." The first printing is the collectible state; Holt went back for a second printing, so first-printing copies should be confirmed against the copyright page rather than assumed. DeLillo has never authorized a reissue, making the original hardcover the definitive edition.

## Is this the true first?
US Holt, Rinehart and Winston is the true first. DeLillo's authorship was deliberately concealed and remains officially unacknowledged; no later authorized reissue exists. The book was written with assistance from Sue Buck.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition noted; scarcity comes from the suppressed first printing and lack of any reissue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Amazons (as Cleo Birdwell, pseudonymous)* by Don DeLillo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/amazons-as-cleo-birdwell-pseudonymous
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.