# Is "Angel City and Other Plays" by Sam Shepard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Angel City and Other Plays by Sam Shepard (Urizen Books, 1976) is identified by: Urizen Books, New York, 1976, 245 pp. US Urizen first; cloth and wrappers issued simultaneously.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Urizen Books, New York, 1976, 245 pp
- Issued simultaneously in cloth (black cloth, pictorial dust jacket) and in wrappers
- Preface by Jack Gelber titled Sam Shepard: The Playwright as Shaman
- Publisher imprint reads Urizen Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sam Shepard |
| Publisher | Urizen Books |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Urizen Books, New York, 1976, 245 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Urizen Books, New York, 1976, 245 pp. Issued simultaneously in cloth (black cloth, pictorial dust jacket) and in wrappers. Preface by Jack Gelber titled Sam Shepard: The Playwright as Shaman.

## Is this the true first?
US Urizen first; cloth and wrappers issued simultaneously.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Angel City and Other Plays* by Sam Shepard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/angel-city-and-other-plays
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.