# Is "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" by August Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson (Plume, 1988) is identified by: First trade edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1988 (New American Library). The Plume trade paperback is the recognized trade first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1988 (New American Library)
- The first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1
- New York Drama Critics' Circle best play, 1987-88
- Publisher imprint reads Plume
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | August Wilson |
| Publisher | Plume |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1988 (New American Library) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First trade edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1988 (New American Library). The first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1. New York Drama Critics' Circle best play, 1987-88.

## Is this the true first?
The Plume trade paperback is the recognized trade first edition. A New American Library hardcover also appeared in 1988, but it circulated essentially as a book-club issue rather than a trade hardback first; the Plume wrappers issue is the standard collected first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1988 New American Library hardcover is a book-club style issue, not a trade hardback first that precedes the paperback. Identify the Plume first printing by the complete number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Joe Turner's Come and Gone* by August Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/joe-turners-come-and-gone
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.