The points of issue
Won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; Kooser was US Poet Laureate. The first edition was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2004 as a trade paperback original (ISBN 1556592019). A separate clothbound issue exists as a signed, limited edition of 250 numbered copies.
Is this the true first?
The US Copper Canyon trade paperback (2004) is the trade first edition. The clothbound printing is a limited signed edition of 250 copies rather than a general hardcover issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Delights & Shadows a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; Kooser was US Poet Laureate. The first edition was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2004 as a trade paperback original (ISBN 1556592019). A separate clothbound issue exists as a signed, limited edition of 250 numbered copies.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Copper Canyon trade paperback (2004) is the trade first edition. The clothbound printing is a limited signed edition of 250 copies rather than a general hardcover issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition.
I have a first edition of Delights & Shadows — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.