# Is "In the Winter of Cities (poems)" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of In the Winter of Cities (poems) by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1956) is identified by: New Directions, 1956, Williams's first collection of verse, issued in two states. US New Directions 1956 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions, 1956, Williams's first collection of verse, issued in two states
- The signed limited (Crandell A16.1.a) is one of 100 numbered copies signed by Williams, printed by Peter Beilenson at the Peter Pauper Press, in white vellum boards with gilt spine titling in a matching numbered slipcase
- The trade issue is in quarter black cloth over patterned boards with a dust jacket
- The signed limited is the primary first-issue point collectors look for
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions, 1956, Williams's first collection of verse, issued in two states |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions, 1956, Williams's first collection of verse, issued in two states. The signed limited (Crandell A16.1.a) is one of 100 numbered copies signed by Williams, printed by Peter Beilenson at the Peter Pauper Press, in white vellum boards with gilt spine titling in a matching numbered slipcase. The trade issue is in quarter black cloth over patterned boards with a dust jacket. The signed limited is the primary first-issue point collectors look for.

## Is this the true first?
US New Directions 1956 is the true first. Both the signed limited (100 copies, vellum, slipcase) and the trade cloth issue are 1956 New Directions; the limited is the leading point. A revised and enlarged edition appeared later.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *In the Winter of Cities (poems)* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/in-the-winter-of-cities-poems
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.