# Is "Open Eye, Open Heart" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Open Eye, Open Heart by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (New Directions, 1973) is identified by: Issued simultaneously in clothbound and as a New Directions Paperbook. True first is the 1973 New Directions issue; clothbound and New Directions Paperbook are simultaneous first-edition states.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued simultaneously in clothbound and as a New Directions Paperbook
- First-edition copyright page carries the New Directions publication statement for 1973 with no later-printing line
- New Directions did not use a numeric printing line on titles of this era
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Ferlinghetti |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued simultaneously in clothbound and as a New Directions Paperbook |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Issued simultaneously in clothbound and as a New Directions Paperbook. First-edition copyright page carries the New Directions publication statement for 1973 with no later-printing line; New Directions did not use a numeric printing line on titles of this era.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1973 New Directions issue; clothbound and New Directions Paperbook are simultaneous first-edition states.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Open Eye, Open Heart* by Lawrence Ferlinghetti a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/open-eye-open-heart
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.