# Is "Kaddish and Other Poems 1958–1960" by Allen Ginsberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kaddish and Other Poems 1958–1960 by Allen Ginsberg (City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 14, 1961) is identified by: Pocket Poets Series No. The City Lights US edition (1961) is the true first; there is no separate UK first of equal standing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pocket Poets Series No
- 14, issued in the series' original black-and-white printed card wrappers, 100 pages
- The first issue is distinguished by the Villiers (printer) imprint/address at the foot of the last text page (page 100), a ten-line blurb, and the original printed price on the rear wrapper
- Later issues drop the Villiers imprint on page 100 and carry a seven-line statement on the rear wrapper
- Standard reference: Bill Morgan, The Works of Allen Ginsberg, 1941–1994: A Descriptive Bibliography
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 14
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Allen Ginsberg |
| Publisher | City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 14 |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Pocket Poets Series No |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Pocket Poets Series No. 14, issued in the series' original black-and-white printed card wrappers, 100 pages. The first issue is distinguished by the Villiers (printer) imprint/address at the foot of the last text page (page 100), a ten-line blurb, and the original printed price on the rear wrapper. Later issues drop the Villiers imprint on page 100 and carry a seven-line statement on the rear wrapper. Standard reference: Bill Morgan, The Works of Allen Ginsberg, 1941–1994: A Descriptive Bibliography.

## Is this the true first?
The City Lights US edition (1961) is the true first; there is no separate UK first of equal standing. Copies signed or inscribed by Ginsberg exist and are documented.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club title. Confirm Pocket Poets No. 14 in original wrappers, and verify the first issue by the Villiers imprint present at the foot of page 100 and the ten-line rear-wrapper blurb, as opposed to later issues lacking the Villiers imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kaddish and Other Poems 1958–1960* by Allen Ginsberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kaddish-and-other-poems-1958-1960
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.