# Is "Kathy Goes to Haiti" by Kathy Acker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kathy Goes to Haiti by Kathy Acker (Rumour Publications, 1978) is identified by: First printing, Rumour Publications, Toronto, 1978, issued only in illustrated softcover wrappers with drawings by Robert Kushner; a small square-octavo volume of roughly 145 pages carrying ISBN 0-88907-010-5. True first is the scarce 1978 Rumour Publications (Toronto) wraps edition; the work was later collected in 'Literal Madness' (Grove, 1988), and a UK Flamingo/Paladin paperback followed, none of which precede the Rumour first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, Rumour Publications, Toronto, 1978, issued only in illustrated softcover wrappers with drawings by Robert Kushner; a small square-octavo volume of roughly 145 pages carrying ISBN 0-88907-010-5
- There was no simultaneous hardcover; the wraps issue is the sole first-edition format
- A small print run of approximately one thousand copies
- Publisher imprint reads Rumour Publications
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kathy Acker |
| Publisher | Rumour Publications |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, Rumour Publications, Toronto, 1978, issued only in illustrated softcover wrappers with drawings by Robert Kushner; a small… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing, Rumour Publications, Toronto, 1978, issued only in illustrated softcover wrappers with drawings by Robert Kushner; a small square-octavo volume of roughly 145 pages carrying ISBN 0-88907-010-5. There was no simultaneous hardcover; the wraps issue is the sole first-edition format. A small print run of approximately one thousand copies.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the scarce 1978 Rumour Publications (Toronto) wraps edition; the work was later collected in 'Literal Madness' (Grove, 1988), and a UK Flamingo/Paladin paperback followed, none of which precede the Rumour first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kathy Goes to Haiti* by Kathy Acker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kathy-goes-to-haiti
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.