# Is "Planet News 1961–1967" by Allen Ginsberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Planet News 1961–1967 by Allen Ginsberg (City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 23, 1968) is identified by: City Lights Books, The Pocket Poets Series No. City Lights US (November 1968) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- City Lights Books, The Pocket Poets Series No
- 23, in the standard perfect-bound printed wrappers (144 pages)
- The first printing carries the statement 'First American Edition November, 1968' on the copyright page and the printer's attribution 'Printed at Villiers Publications' inside the rear wrapper
- The original price is printed on the wrapper; later printings add a further printing statement to the copyright page
- Contains 'Wichita Vortex Sutra.'
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 23
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Allen Ginsberg |
| Publisher | City Lights Books / The Pocket Poets Series No. 23 |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | City Lights Books, The Pocket Poets Series No |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
City Lights Books, The Pocket Poets Series No. 23, in the standard perfect-bound printed wrappers (144 pages). The first printing carries the statement 'First American Edition November, 1968' on the copyright page and the printer's attribution 'Printed at Villiers Publications' inside the rear wrapper. The original price is printed on the wrapper; later printings add a further printing statement to the copyright page. Contains 'Wichita Vortex Sutra.'

## Is this the true first?
City Lights US (November 1968) is the true first edition. Confirm by the 'First American Edition November, 1968' copyright-page line, the Villiers Publications printer attribution, and Pocket Poets No. 23 on the wrapper.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club title. Later City Lights printings are distinguished by additional printing statements added to the copyright page; the first printing shows only the November 1968 first-edition line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Planet News 1961–1967* by Allen Ginsberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/planet-news-1961-1967
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.