The points of issue
Wesleyan Poetry Series. Issued in cloth and in wrappers. Wrappers issue: ISBN 0819511641 (ISBN-13 9780819511645). The clothbound hardcover carries ISBN 0819521639 (9780819521637) and is the scarcer form. The Vietnam War collection; the title is GI-era slang rendered 'crazy.'
Is this the true first?
US Wesleyan true first. The cloth issue is scarcer and generally preferred; the softcover is a simultaneous true-first issue. Signed copies exist.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add a printing statement; no book-club edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Dien Cai Dau a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Wesleyan Poetry Series. Issued in cloth and in wrappers. Wrappers issue: ISBN 0819511641 (ISBN-13 9780819511645). The clothbound hardcover carries ISBN 0819521639 (9780819521637) and is the scarcer form. The Vietnam War collection; the title is GI-era slang rendered 'crazy.'
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. US Wesleyan true first. The cloth issue is scarcer and generally preferred; the softcover is a simultaneous true-first issue. Signed copies exist.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings add a printing statement; no book-club edition.
I have a first edition of Dien Cai Dau — 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.