# Is "Out Cry" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Out Cry by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1973) is identified by: First edition under this title, New Directions, New York, 1973 (Crandell A39.1.A). US New Directions 1973 is the true first appearance under the title Out Cry.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition under this title, New Directions, New York, 1973 (Crandell A39.1.A)
- Issued in cloth with dust jacket and simultaneously in wrappers
- This is Williams's revision of The Two-Character Play
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition under this title, New Directions, New York, 1973 (Crandell A39.1.A) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition under this title, New Directions, New York, 1973 (Crandell A39.1.A). Issued in cloth with dust jacket and simultaneously in wrappers. This is Williams's revision of The Two-Character Play.

## Is this the true first?
US New Directions 1973 is the true first appearance under the title Out Cry. It revises the earlier The Two-Character Play (1969 signed limited).

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Out Cry* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/out-cry
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.