# Is "The American Dream" by Edward Albee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The American Dream by Edward Albee (Coward-McCann, 1961) is identified by: First edition Coward-McCann, New York, 1961, issued in 1961 in two simultaneous formats: a softcover (wrappers) issue in the publisher's contemporary-drama series and a hardcover issue in cloth with dust jacket. The US Coward-McCann 1961 edition is the first book appearance.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition Coward-McCann, New York, 1961, issued in 1961 in two simultaneous formats: a softcover (wrappers) issue in the publisher's contemporary-drama series and a hardcover issue in cloth with dust jacket
- The first printing of either format carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page; the priced dust jacket accompanies the hardcover issue
- Publisher imprint reads Coward-McCann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Albee |
| Publisher | Coward-McCann |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition Coward-McCann, New York, 1961, issued in 1961 in two simultaneous formats: a softcover (wrappers) issue in the publisher's… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition Coward-McCann, New York, 1961, issued in 1961 in two simultaneous formats: a softcover (wrappers) issue in the publisher's contemporary-drama series and a hardcover issue in cloth with dust jacket. The first printing of either format carries no later-printing statement on the copyright page; the priced dust jacket accompanies the hardcover issue.

## Is this the true first?
The US Coward-McCann 1961 edition is the first book appearance. Both the wrappers and the cloth issues appeared in 1961 and their priority is not firmly settled in the trade, so neither should be presented as the sole true first. Later combined Signet and Plume paperbacks (often pairing the play with The Zoo Story) are reprints, not the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Combined paperback editions (Signet, Plume) are later reprints. The first printing is distinguished by the absence of a printing history on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The American Dream* by Edward Albee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-american-dream
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.