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First-Edition Identification · Robert Lowell

Is My Life Studies a First Edition?

Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1959

The points of issue

First US printing so stated ('First printing, 1959' on the copyright page). The US edition includes the prose memoir '91 Revere Street.' Cloth in dust jacket, original price present.

Decode the printer’s key: paste the number line into the decoder · Farrar, Straus and Cudahy first-edition guide.

Is this the true first?

Important precedence point: the UK Faber edition (1959) and the US Farrar, Straus and Cudahy edition (1959) DIFFER in contents — the US edition contains '91 Revere Street,' which was OMITTED from the first UK Faber printing. The US FSC edition is generally taken as the primary collectible first because of the fuller contents; the Faber is the UK first. Landmark of confessional poetry.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Not a book club. The crucial distinction is US vs. UK contents (US includes '91 Revere Street'); verify the 'First printing, 1959' statement for the US first.

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Life Studies a first edition?

Look for these first-edition points: First US printing so stated ('First printing, 1959' on the copyright page). The US edition includes the prose memoir '91 Revere Street.' Cloth in dust jacket, original price present.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Important precedence point: the UK Faber edition (1959) and the US Farrar, Straus and Cudahy edition (1959) DIFFER in contents — the US edition contains '91 Revere Street,' which was OMITTED from the first UK Faber printing. The US FSC edition is generally taken as the primary collectible first beca

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

Not a book club. The crucial distinction is US vs. UK contents (US includes '91 Revere Street'); verify the 'First printing, 1959' statement for the US first.

I have a first edition of Life Studies — what should I do?

If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.

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