# Is "Strange Interlude" by Eugene O'Neill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Strange Interlude by Eugene O'Neill (Boni & Liveright, 1928) is identified by: First published by Boni & Liveright, New York, 1928. The US Boni & Liveright 1928 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published by Boni & Liveright, New York, 1928
- A signed limited edition of 775 copies was also issued, a quarto bound in vellum on all-rag watermarked paper and printed in two colors, with the play's interior 'spoken thoughts' asides set in blue ink and the rest of the text in black; issued in a publisher's box
- The trade first printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page; the play's experimental asides run through the text
- Publisher imprint reads Boni & Liveright
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Eugene O'Neill |
| Publisher | Boni & Liveright |
| Year | 1928 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published by Boni & Liveright, New York, 1928 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published by Boni & Liveright, New York, 1928. A signed limited edition of 775 copies was also issued, a quarto bound in vellum on all-rag watermarked paper and printed in two colors, with the play's interior 'spoken thoughts' asides set in blue ink and the rest of the text in black; issued in a publisher's box. The trade first printing carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page; the play's experimental asides run through the text.

## Is this the true first?
The US Boni & Liveright 1928 edition is the true first. The signed limited of 775 copies, with its limitation/signature leaf, is the premium collecting state and accompanies the trade issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The trade first printing is identified by the absence of a printing history; later printings are stated. The signed limited is distinguished by its limitation page and two-color printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Strange Interlude* by Eugene O'Neill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/strange-interlude
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.