# Is "Steelwork" by Gilbert Sorrentino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Steelwork by Gilbert Sorrentino (Pantheon Books, 1970) is identified by: Pantheon Books, New York, 1970 (ISBN 0-394-44710-7), first edition with the first printing stated, issued in a dust jacket that retains its printed price on the front flap. True first is the 1970 Pantheon edition; identifying points are documented in William McPheron's descriptive bibliography of Sorrentino, the standard reference for the author.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pantheon Books, New York, 1970 (ISBN 0-394-44710-7), first edition with the first printing stated, issued in a dust jacket that retains its printed price on the front flap
- The jacket art depicts the stylized street signs at the intersection of 68th Street and Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the setting of the novel
- Publisher imprint reads Pantheon Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gilbert Sorrentino |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pantheon Books, New York, 1970 (ISBN 0-394-44710-7), first edition with the first printing stated, issued in a dust jacket that retains its… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Pantheon Books, New York, 1970 (ISBN 0-394-44710-7), first edition with the first printing stated, issued in a dust jacket that retains its printed price on the front flap. The jacket art depicts the stylized street signs at the intersection of 68th Street and Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the setting of the novel.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1970 Pantheon edition; identifying points are documented in William McPheron's descriptive bibliography of Sorrentino, the standard reference for the author.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Steelwork* by Gilbert Sorrentino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/steelwork
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.