# Is "Baby Breakdown" by Anne Waldman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Baby Breakdown by Anne Waldman (Bobbs-Merrill, 1970) is identified by: First edition issued in cloth (purple/plum cloth, spine lettered in metallic blue) with dust jacket, front and back cover photographs by Joe Brainard. True first is the 1970 Bobbs-Merrill trade edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition issued in cloth (purple/plum cloth, spine lettered in metallic blue) with dust jacket, front and back cover photographs by Joe Brainard
- This was Waldman's first book from a major trade publisher
- A number line or explicit later-printing statement is the reliable check for the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Bobbs-Merrill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Waldman |
| Publisher | Bobbs-Merrill |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition issued in cloth (purple/plum cloth, spine lettered in metallic blue) with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition issued in cloth (purple/plum cloth, spine lettered in metallic blue) with dust jacket, front and back cover photographs by Joe Brainard. This was Waldman's first book from a major trade publisher. A number line or explicit later-printing statement is the reliable check for the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1970 Bobbs-Merrill trade edition.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Baby Breakdown* by Anne Waldman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/baby-breakdown
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.