# Is "The Will to Change" by Adrienne Rich a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Will to Change by Adrienne Rich (W.W. Norton, 1971) is identified by: Norton, 1971 (subtitle 'Poems 1968-1970'), black cloth in dust jacket, 67 pages. US Norton is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition (Phoenix Living Poets series) followed in 1972-1973.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, W.W. Norton, 1971 (subtitle 'Poems 1968-1970'), black cloth in dust jacket, 67 pages
- First printing carries the stated 'First Edition' / number line on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads W.W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Adrienne Rich |
| Publisher | W.W. Norton |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | First edition, W.W. Norton, 1971 (subtitle 'Poems 1968-1970'), black cloth in dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, W.W. Norton, 1971 (subtitle 'Poems 1968-1970'), black cloth in dust jacket, 67 pages. First printing carries the stated 'First Edition' / number line on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Norton is the true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition (Phoenix Living Poets series) followed in 1972-1973.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Will to Change* by Adrienne Rich a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-will-to-change
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.