The points of issue
Won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. First printing: Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1987, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page per Knopf's house practice (the Borzoi colophon appears but is present on all Knopf printings, so it is not by itself a first-printing point). Issued simultaneously in cloth with dust jacket and in paper wrappers; the clothbound issue is the collector's first.
Is this the true first?
US Knopf (1987) is the true first edition; the clothbound issue is the collector's first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. The 'FIRST EDITION' statement is dropped on later printings.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Partial Accounts: New and Selected Poems a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. First printing: Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1987, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page per Knopf's house practice (the Borzoi colophon appears but is present on all Knopf printings, so it is not by itself a first-printing point). Issued simultaneously in cloth with dust jacket and in paper wrappers; the clothbound issue is the collector's first.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Knopf (1987) is the true first edition; the clothbound issue is the collector's first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. The 'FIRST EDITION' statement is dropped on later printings.
I have a first edition of Partial Accounts: New and Selected Poems — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.