# Is "Ghost Tantras" by Michael McClure a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ghost Tantras by Michael McClure (Privately printed by McClure, 1964) is identified by: Self-published by McClure in 1964, in printed wrappers, with the 'beast language' poems and a photographic cover by Wallace Berman. True first is the 1964 original wrappered issue self-published by McClure; City Lights only distributed it and issued a separate reprint decades later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Self-published by McClure in 1964, in printed wrappers, with the 'beast language' poems and a photographic cover by Wallace Berman
- No later-printing statement on the original
- The much later City Lights reissue is a distinct, separate edition and not to be confused with the 1964 original
- Publisher imprint reads Privately printed by McClure
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael McClure |
| Publisher | Privately printed by McClure |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Self-published by McClure in 1964, in printed wrappers, with the 'beast language' poems… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Self-published by McClure in 1964, in printed wrappers, with the 'beast language' poems and a photographic cover by Wallace Berman. No later-printing statement on the original. The much later City Lights reissue is a distinct, separate edition and not to be confused with the 1964 original.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1964 original wrappered issue self-published by McClure; City Lights only distributed it and issued a separate reprint decades later.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ghost Tantras* by Michael McClure a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ghost-tantras
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.