# Is "Period of Adjustment" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Period of Adjustment by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1960) is identified by: Cloth in dust jacket; New York, New Directions, 1960, the full title being Period of Adjustment: High Point Is Built Over a Cavern, a Serious Comedy. The US New Directions edition of 1960 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cloth in dust jacket
- New York, New Directions, 1960, the full title being Period of Adjustment: High Point Is Built Over a Cavern, a Serious Comedy
- The first-issue dust jacket carries artwork by Harold Bruder, and an unclipped jacket retains the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cloth in dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Cloth in dust jacket; New York, New Directions, 1960, the full title being Period of Adjustment: High Point Is Built Over a Cavern, a Serious Comedy. The first-issue dust jacket carries artwork by Harold Bruder, and an unclipped jacket retains the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US New Directions edition of 1960 is the true first edition. The UK Secker and Warburg edition followed in 1961.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition of note; later New Directions printings and the paperback acting editions follow the 1960 first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Period of Adjustment* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/period-of-adjustment
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.