# Is "Passage to the Outside" by Michael McClure a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Passage to the Outside by Michael McClure (The Jargon Society, 1956) is identified by: The title is 'Passage,' issued as Jargon 20 and published by Jonathan Williams / The Jargon Society from Big Sur in 1956. 'Passage' (Jargon, 1956) is McClure's genuine first book and precedes the Auerhahn 'Hymns to St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The title is 'Passage,' issued as Jargon 20 and published by Jonathan Williams / The Jargon Society from Big Sur in 1956
- Hand-sewn in printed wrappers, letterpress printed by the Windhover Press, cover designed by Jonathan Williams, in an edition of 200 copies
- This is McClure's true first book
- It is not an Auerhahn Press book and it is not dated 1958
- Publisher imprint reads The Jargon Society
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael McClure |
| Publisher | The Jargon Society |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The title is 'Passage,' issued as Jargon 20 and published by Jonathan Williams / The… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The title is 'Passage,' issued as Jargon 20 and published by Jonathan Williams / The Jargon Society from Big Sur in 1956. Hand-sewn in printed wrappers, letterpress printed by the Windhover Press, cover designed by Jonathan Williams, in an edition of 200 copies. This is McClure's true first book. It is not an Auerhahn Press book and it is not dated 1958.

## Is this the true first?
'Passage' (Jargon, 1956) is McClure's genuine first book and precedes the Auerhahn 'Hymns to St. Geryon' (1959). The premise that Hymns comes first is incorrect. There is no separate title 'Passage to the Outside'; the book is simply 'Passage.'

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Passage to the Outside* by Michael McClure a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/passage-to-the-outside
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.