# Is "In the Clap Shack" by William Styron a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of In the Clap Shack by William Styron (Random House, 1973) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page; this is Styron's only published play, about 96 pages, octavo. US first; first-thus as Styron's sole work for the stage.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page; this is Styron's only published play, about 96 pages, octavo
- Bound in quarter black cloth over orange paper-covered boards, the black spine lettered in the contrasting orange scheme, and illustrated with photographs from the stage production
- Issued in hardcover with a printed dust jacket that should retain its price on the flap; jackets are frequently found price-clipped and spine-faded, so a bright unclipped jacket is the exception rather than a point of issue
- ISBN 0-394-46093-2
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Styron |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page; this is Styron's only published play, about 96 pages, octavo |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page; this is Styron's only published play, about 96 pages, octavo. Bound in quarter black cloth over orange paper-covered boards, the black spine lettered in the contrasting orange scheme, and illustrated with photographs from the stage production. Issued in hardcover with a printed dust jacket that should retain its price on the flap; jackets are frequently found price-clipped and spine-faded, so a bright unclipped jacket is the exception rather than a point of issue. ISBN 0-394-46093-2.

## Is this the true first?
US first; first-thus as Styron's sole work for the stage. The play premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition issue point affecting the true first; later printings omit the "First Edition" statement from the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *In the Clap Shack* by William Styron a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/in-the-clap-shack
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.