# Is "Slouching Towards Bethlehem — deeper Didion: The White Album" by Joan Didion a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Slouching Towards Bethlehem — deeper Didion: The White Album by Joan Didion (Simon & Schuster, 1979) is identified by: The White Album: copyright page carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10); Simon & Schuster does not print a 'First Edition' or 'First printing' statement here, so identification rests on the full number line plus the unclipped jacket showing the printed price. US Simon & Schuster is the true first for The White Album, preceding the UK (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The White Album: copyright page carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)
- Simon & Schuster does not print a 'First Edition' or 'First printing' statement here, so identification rests on the full number line plus the unclipped jacket showing the printed price
- ISBN 0-671-22685-1; quarter black cloth over red boards
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joan Didion |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The White Album: copyright page carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The White Album: copyright page carries a complete descending number line ending in 1 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10); Simon & Schuster does not print a 'First Edition' or 'First printing' statement here, so identification rests on the full number line plus the unclipped jacket showing the printed price. ISBN 0-671-22685-1; quarter black cloth over red boards.

## Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster is the true first for The White Album, preceding the UK (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) edition. A distinct collecting target from Slouching Towards Bethlehem (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1968), which is cataloged separately.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club issue distorts this title; confusion is mainly with later Simon & Schuster printings (number line no longer reaching 1). The complete number line plus the priced jacket identify the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Slouching Towards Bethlehem — deeper Didion: The White Album* by Joan Didion a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/slouching-towards-bethlehem-deeper-didion-the-white-album
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.