# Is "The Rush for Second Place: Essays and Occasional Writings" by William Gaddis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rush for Second Place: Essays and Occasional Writings by William Gaddis (Penguin Books, 2002) is identified by: Trade paperback original from Penguin Books, 2002 — a posthumous collection of essays and occasional writings edited and introduced by Joseph Tabbi. True first is the 2002 Penguin Books trade paperback original; no hardcover first precedes it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Trade paperback original from Penguin Books, 2002 — a posthumous collection of essays and occasional writings edited and introduced by Joseph Tabbi
- There is no prior hardcover; the Penguin paperback is the first appearance
- Identify by the first Penguin printing statement and number line on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Penguin Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Gaddis |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Trade paperback original from Penguin Books, 2002 — a posthumous collection of essays and occasional writings edited and introduced by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Trade paperback original from Penguin Books, 2002 — a posthumous collection of essays and occasional writings edited and introduced by Joseph Tabbi. There is no prior hardcover; the Penguin paperback is the first appearance. Identify by the first Penguin printing statement and number line on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 2002 Penguin Books trade paperback original; no hardcover first precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rush for Second Place: Essays and Occasional Writings* by William Gaddis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rush-for-second-place-essays-and-occasional-writings
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.