# Is "Literal Madness: Three Novels" by Kathy Acker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Literal Madness: Three Novels by Kathy Acker (Grove Press, 1988) is identified by: First combined edition, issued in hardcover (cloth-backed boards) with dust jacket and printed price. True first collected edition is the 1988 Grove hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First combined edition, issued in hardcover (cloth-backed boards) with dust jacket and printed price
- Collects 'Kathy Goes to Haiti,' 'My Death My Life by Pier Paolo Pasolini,' and 'Florida.' A Grove paperback followed later
- Publisher imprint reads Grove Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kathy Acker |
| Publisher | Grove Press |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First combined edition, issued in hardcover (cloth-backed boards) with dust jacket and printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First combined edition, issued in hardcover (cloth-backed boards) with dust jacket and printed price. Collects 'Kathy Goes to Haiti,' 'My Death My Life by Pier Paolo Pasolini,' and 'Florida.' A Grove paperback followed later (1994).

## Is this the true first?
True first collected edition is the 1988 Grove hardcover. 'Kathy Goes to Haiti' first appeared 1978 (Rumour Publications, Toronto); 'My Death My Life by Pier Paolo Pasolini' first appeared 1984 (Pan Books, London); 'Florida' first appeared in book form here.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Literal Madness: Three Novels* by Kathy Acker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/literal-madness-three-novels
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.