# Is "The Lime Twig" by John Hawkes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lime Twig by John Hawkes (New Directions, 1961) is identified by: New Directions, New York, 1961. The US New Directions edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions, New York, 1961
- Issued simultaneously in clothbound hardcover and as a New Directions Paperbook; the clothbound hardcover in dust jacket is the collected first state
- Introduction by Leslie A. Fiedler; the first printing carries no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Hawkes |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions, New York, 1961 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions, New York, 1961. Issued simultaneously in clothbound hardcover and as a New Directions Paperbook; the clothbound hardcover in dust jacket is the collected first state. Introduction by Leslie A. Fiedler; the first printing carries no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
The US New Directions edition is the true first. The hardcover was issued alongside a paperbook; the clothbound hardcover in jacket is the premium state and is notably scarcer than the paperbook.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are noted on the copyright page; no significant book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Lime Twig* by John Hawkes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-lime-twig
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.