# Is "Berryman's Sonnets" by John Berryman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Berryman's Sonnets by John Berryman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1967) is identified by: First edition, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1967; black cloth with gold spine lettering, yellow topstain and endpapers; jacket design by Herb Johnson. US FSG (1967) is the true first; the Faber & Faber UK edition follows in 1968.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1967; black cloth with gold spine lettering, yellow topstain and endpapers; jacket design by Herb Johnson
- First printing carries the 'First printing, 1967' statement
- Written decades earlier but first collected and published in 1967 (title page: 'Berryman's Sonnets, Now First Imprinted')
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Berryman |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1967; black cloth with gold spine lettering… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1967; black cloth with gold spine lettering, yellow topstain and endpapers; jacket design by Herb Johnson. First printing carries the 'First printing, 1967' statement. Written decades earlier but first collected and published in 1967 (title page: 'Berryman's Sonnets, Now First Imprinted').

## Is this the true first?
US FSG (1967) is the true first; the Faber & Faber UK edition follows in 1968.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Berryman's Sonnets* by John Berryman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/berrymans-sonnets
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.