# Is "Lunch Poems" by Frank O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara (City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 19, 1964) is identified by: Pocket Poets Series No. City Lights US is the true first; no separate UK first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pocket Poets Series No
- 19, printed wrappers
- First printing so stated/identified by absence of later-printing notice; price on rear cover
- Issued in wrappers (a small number of hardbound/cloth copies were also produced and are scarce)
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 19
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Frank O'Hara |
| Publisher | City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 19 |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Pocket Poets Series No |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Pocket Poets Series No. 19, printed wrappers. First printing so stated/identified by absence of later-printing notice; price on rear cover. Issued in wrappers (a small number of hardbound/cloth copies were also produced and are scarce).

## Is this the true first?
City Lights US is the true first; no separate UK first. The scarce clothbound/hardcover state commands a premium over the standard wrappered issue. Signed copies (O'Hara died in 1966) are uncommon.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club title. Later printings noted on the copyright page; first printing lacks any additional printing statement. Confirm Pocket Poets No. 19 and first-printing copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Lunch Poems* by Frank O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/lunch-poems
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.