The points of issue
Issued by Burning Deck in 2002 in three simultaneous states from a total edition of 1250: a paperback in wraps, an unsigned cloth hardcover, and a signed cloth hardcover limited to 50 copies. The hardcover states, not the wraps, represent the higher first-edition issue. A slim volume of poetic prose vignettes derived from Joseph Cornell's assemblages.
Is this the true first?
True first is the 2002 Burning Deck edition. The original record described only the paperback wraps; in fact cloth hardcover states (including a signed issue of 50) were published the same year and are the senior issue. Five of the texts appeared earlier in the anthology A Convergence of Birds (D.A.P., 2001), so that anthology holds the first appearance of those pieces.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Grand Hotels (of Joseph Cornell) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Issued by Burning Deck in 2002 in three simultaneous states from a total edition of 1250: a paperback in wraps, an unsigned cloth hardcover, and a signed cloth hardcover limited to 50 copies. The hardcover states, not the wraps, represent the higher first-edition issue. A slim volume of poetic prose vignettes derived from Joseph Cornell's assemblages.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True first is the 2002 Burning Deck edition. The original record described only the paperback wraps; in fact cloth hardcover states (including a signed issue of 50) were published the same year and are the senior issue. Five of the texts appeared earlier in the anthology A Convergence of Birds (D.A.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
None notable.
I have a first edition of The Grand Hotels (of Joseph Cornell) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.