# Is "Delusions, Etc." by John Berryman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Delusions, Etc. by John Berryman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1972) is identified by: Berryman's last book of poems, published posthumously shortly after his death; includes the sequence Opus Dei. US Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1972, is the first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Berryman's last book of poems, published posthumously shortly after his death; includes the sequence Opus Dei
- First edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1972, black cloth with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket
- Identify by the stated first printing on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Berryman |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Berryman's last book of poems, published posthumously shortly after his death; includes… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Berryman's last book of poems, published posthumously shortly after his death; includes the sequence Opus Dei. First edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1972, black cloth with gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket. Identify by the stated first printing on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1972, is the first edition. A precise Faber UK first could not be confirmed from reliable sources, so no UK precedence is asserted here.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Delusions, Etc.* by John Berryman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/delusions-etc
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.