# Is "Book of Dreams" by Jack Kerouac a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Book of Dreams by Jack Kerouac (City Lights Books, 1961) is identified by: Trade paperback original in pictorial wrappers, printed by Troubador Press, San Francisco; issued straight to wraps (no hardcover). True first is the 1961 City Lights wrappered original.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Trade paperback original in pictorial wrappers, printed by Troubador Press, San Francisco; issued straight to wraps (no hardcover)
- First printing shows no statement of later printings
- Later expanded/unabridged edition
- is a distinct, much fuller text
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jack Kerouac |
| Publisher | City Lights Books |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Trade paperback original in pictorial wrappers, printed by Troubador Press, San… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Trade paperback original in pictorial wrappers, printed by Troubador Press, San Francisco; issued straight to wraps (no hardcover). First printing shows no statement of later printings. Later expanded/unabridged edition (2001) is a distinct, much fuller text.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1961 City Lights wrappered original.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Book of Dreams* by Jack Kerouac a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/book-of-dreams
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.