# Is "Makeup on Empty Space" by Anne Waldman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Makeup on Empty Space by Anne Waldman (Toothpaste Press, 1984) is identified by: First edition in two forms: a trade issue of about 1,450 sewn softcover copies in wrappers, and a deluxe hardcover limited to about 100 signed and numbered copies. True first is the 1984 Toothpaste Press issue; the signed/numbered hardcover of about 100 copies is the deluxe state of that first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition in two forms: a trade issue of about 1,450 sewn softcover copies in wrappers, and a deluxe hardcover limited to about 100 signed and numbered copies
- Cover illustration by Susan Hall; author photograph by Gerard Malanga
- Published in West Branch, Iowa
- Publisher imprint reads Toothpaste Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Waldman |
| Publisher | Toothpaste Press |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition in two forms: a trade issue of about 1,450 sewn softcover copies in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition in two forms: a trade issue of about 1,450 sewn softcover copies in wrappers, and a deluxe hardcover limited to about 100 signed and numbered copies. Cover illustration by Susan Hall; author photograph by Gerard Malanga. Published in West Branch, Iowa.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1984 Toothpaste Press issue; the signed/numbered hardcover of about 100 copies is the deluxe state of that first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Makeup on Empty Space* by Anne Waldman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/makeup-on-empty-space
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.