# Is "Regarding Wave" by Gary Snyder a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Regarding Wave by Gary Snyder (New Directions, 1970) is identified by: New Directions trade first edition, New York 1970, issued in cloth and in wrappers. The true first appearance in book form is the Windhover Press limited edition of 1969 (limited, signed, wine cloth, no jacket, printed on handmade paper), which carries a partial selection; the complete work first appeared in the New Directions trade edition of 1970.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions trade first edition, New York 1970, issued in cloth and in wrappers
- This full-length trade edition is preceded by a Windhover Press limited edition of 1969 (Iowa City), which contained a smaller selection of the Regarding Wave poems
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gary Snyder |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions trade first edition, New York 1970, issued in cloth and in wrappers |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions trade first edition, New York 1970, issued in cloth and in wrappers. This full-length trade edition is preceded by a Windhover Press limited edition of 1969 (Iowa City), which contained a smaller selection of the Regarding Wave poems.

## Is this the true first?
The true first appearance in book form is the Windhover Press limited edition of 1969 (limited, signed, wine cloth, no jacket, printed on handmade paper), which carries a partial selection; the complete work first appeared in the New Directions trade edition of 1970. Note the precedence carefully.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Regarding Wave* by Gary Snyder a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/regarding-wave
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.