# Is "Drowning with Others" by James Dickey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Drowning with Others by James Dickey (Wesleyan University Press, 1962) is identified by: Issued simultaneously in cloth and in wrappers per Wesleyan University Press practice; the cloth/wrappers distinction is the issue point. US first; Dickey's first book published under his own name alone (his verse first appeared in 'Poets of Today VII', 1960).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Poetry, 96 pages
- Issued simultaneously in cloth and in wrappers per Wesleyan University Press practice; the cloth/wrappers distinction is the issue point
- The cloth issue is bound in light grey cloth and was supplied with a dust jacket that carries the original printed retail price on the flap (an unclipped flap is the preferred state)
- Eleven of the poems first appeared in The New Yorker
- Publisher imprint reads Wesleyan University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Dickey |
| Publisher | Wesleyan University Press |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Poetry, 96 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Poetry, 96 pages. Issued simultaneously in cloth and in wrappers per Wesleyan University Press practice; the cloth/wrappers distinction is the issue point. The cloth issue is bound in light grey cloth and was supplied with a dust jacket that carries the original printed retail price on the flap (an unclipped flap is the preferred state). Eleven of the poems first appeared in The New Yorker.

## Is this the true first?
US first; Dickey's first book published under his own name alone (his verse first appeared in 'Poets of Today VII', 1960). Cloth and wrappers were issued simultaneously, so neither precedes the other.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue; the cloth versus wrappers distinction is the relevant issue point. A 1963 printing exists and should not be taken for the 1962 first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Drowning with Others* by James Dickey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/drowning-with-others
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.