# Is "Angels" by Denis Johnson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Angels by Denis Johnson (Alfred A. Knopf, 1983) is identified by: Knopf (Borzoi) first edition, ISBN 0-394-53225-7. The US Knopf hardcover (1983) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf (Borzoi) first edition, ISBN 0-394-53225-7
- Copyright page states FIRST EDITION with a number line descending to 1
- Borzoi colophon
- Johnson's debut novel, in quarter black cloth over black paper boards
- Verify the jacket price is present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Denis Johnson |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf (Borzoi) first edition, ISBN 0-394-53225-7 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf (Borzoi) first edition, ISBN 0-394-53225-7. Copyright page states FIRST EDITION with a number line descending to 1; Borzoi colophon. Johnson's debut novel, in quarter black cloth over black paper boards. Verify the jacket price is present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover (1983) is the true first edition. Johnson's poetry collections predate it as his earliest books (The Man Among the Seals, 1969; Inner Weather, 1976), but Angels is his first novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the FIRST EDITION/number-line statement and the priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Angels* by Denis Johnson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/angels
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.