The points of issue
Grove Press first, issued simultaneously in cloth hardcover (black cloth, spine and upper board lettered in gilt; the scarce collector's first) and as an Evergreen paperback (common). The foundational anthology of the Beats, Black Mountain, New York School, and San Francisco Renaissance, gathering 215 poems by 44 poets with a preface, statements on poetics, biographical notes, and bibliographies.
Is this the true first?
US true first; landmark anthology. The cloth hardcover is far scarcer than the ubiquitous Evergreen paperback.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Distinguish the cloth hardcover issue from the common Evergreen paperback; later University of California Press editions are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The New American Poetry 1945–1960 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Grove Press first, issued simultaneously in cloth hardcover (black cloth, spine and upper board lettered in gilt; the scarce collector's first) and as an Evergreen paperback (common). The foundational anthology of the Beats, Black Mountain, New York School, and San Francisco Renaissance, gathering 215 poems by 44 poets with a preface, statements on poetics, biographical notes, and bibliographies.
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. US true first; landmark anthology. The cloth hardcover is far scarcer than the ubiquitous Evergreen paperback.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Distinguish the cloth hardcover issue from the common Evergreen paperback; later University of California Press editions are reprints.
I have a first edition of The New American Poetry 1945–1960 — 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.