# Is "An Early Martyr and Other Poems" by William Carlos Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of An Early Martyr and Other Poems by William Carlos Williams (The Alcestis Press, 1935) is identified by: First edition, The Alcestis Press, 1935, limited to 165 copies, every copy signed by Williams on the limitation page. US Alcestis Press; the true first, a scarce signed limited edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, The Alcestis Press, 1935, limited to 165 copies, every copy signed by Williams on the limitation page
- The issue comprises 20 copies numbered I-XX on Duca di Modena Italian handmade paper for presentation, 135 copies numbered 1-135 on Strathmore all-rag paper for sale, and 10 out-of-series review copies
- Publisher imprint reads The Alcestis Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Carlos Williams |
| Publisher | The Alcestis Press |
| Year | 1935 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, The Alcestis Press, 1935, limited to 165 copies, every copy signed by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, The Alcestis Press, 1935, limited to 165 copies, every copy signed by Williams on the limitation page. The issue comprises 20 copies numbered I-XX on Duca di Modena Italian handmade paper for presentation, 135 copies numbered 1-135 on Strathmore all-rag paper for sale, and 10 out-of-series review copies.

## Is this the true first?
US Alcestis Press; the true first, a scarce signed limited edition.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *An Early Martyr and Other Poems* by William Carlos Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/an-early-martyr-and-other-poems
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.