The points of issue
Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets. Issued simultaneously in cloth and in wrappers. Cloth issue: ISBN 0691065705 (ISBN-13 9780691065700), bound in cloth (black or light gray, no established priority) with dust jacket. Wrappers issue: ISBN 0691014051 (ISBN-13 9780691014050). The cloth-in-jacket copy is the collector's preferred form.
Is this the true first?
US Princeton true first. Graham's second collection. The cloth and wrappers were issued simultaneously, so both are true-first issues; cloth is generally preferred.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings in the series add a printing statement; the softcover is a simultaneous true-first issue but secondary to cloth.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Erosion a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets. Issued simultaneously in cloth and in wrappers. Cloth issue: ISBN 0691065705 (ISBN-13 9780691065700), bound in cloth (black or light gray, no established priority) with dust jacket. Wrappers issue: ISBN 0691014051 (ISBN-13 9780691014050). The cloth-in-jacket copy is the collector's preferred form.
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 Princeton true first. Graham's second collection. The cloth and wrappers were issued simultaneously, so both are true-first issues; cloth is generally preferred.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings in the series add a printing statement; the softcover is a simultaneous true-first issue but secondary to cloth.
I have a first edition of Erosion — 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.