# Is "The Old Neighborhood" by David Mamet a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Old Neighborhood by David Mamet (Vintage Books, 1998) is identified by: Trade paperback in stiff illustrated wrappers, issued without jacket; a Vintage original, 1998. Issued as a Vintage original in wrappers; confirm the number line on the copyright page for first printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Trade paperback in stiff illustrated wrappers, issued without jacket; a Vintage original, 1998
- First printing has the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Collects three plays: The Disappearance of the Jews, Jolly, and Deeny
- A UK Methuen edition also appeared in 1998
- Publisher imprint reads Vintage Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Mamet |
| Publisher | Vintage Books |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Trade paperback in stiff illustrated wrappers, issued without jacket; a Vintage original… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Trade paperback in stiff illustrated wrappers, issued without jacket; a Vintage original, 1998. First printing has the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Collects three plays: The Disappearance of the Jews, Jolly, and Deeny. A UK Methuen edition also appeared in 1998.

## Is this the true first?
Issued as a Vintage original in wrappers; confirm the number line on the copyright page for first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; issued as a paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Old Neighborhood* by David Mamet a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-old-neighborhood
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.