# Is "Elegiac Feelings American" by Gregory Corso a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Elegiac Feelings American by Gregory Corso (New Directions, 1970) is identified by: Paperback original in wrappers (New Directions Paperbook 264); no statement of later printing. True first is the 1970 New Directions wrappered paperback original; Corso's first collection in eight years.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Paperback original in wrappers (New Directions Paperbook 264); no statement of later printing
- Title poem is the elegy for Jack Kerouac; also includes 'The Geometric Poem' reproduced in facsimile from Corso's handwritten sheets
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gregory Corso |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Paperback original in wrappers (New Directions Paperbook 264); no statement of later… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Paperback original in wrappers (New Directions Paperbook 264); no statement of later printing. Title poem is the elegy for Jack Kerouac; also includes 'The Geometric Poem' reproduced in facsimile from Corso's handwritten sheets.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1970 New Directions wrappered paperback original; Corso's first collection in eight years.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Elegiac Feelings American* by Gregory Corso a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/elegiac-feelings-american
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.