# Is "them" by Joyce Carol Oates a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of them by Joyce Carol Oates (Vanguard Press, 1969) is identified by: Third of the Wonderland Quartet and the 1970 National Book Award winner; the title is styled in lowercase as them. The US Vanguard Press 1969 printing is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Third of the Wonderland Quartet and the 1970 National Book Award winner; the title is styled in lowercase as them
- Vanguard Press did not print a stated First Edition line on this title; the first printing is identified by a copyright page that carries the Vanguard imprint and 1969 date with no later-printing notation
- First-issue trade copies retain a price-present dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joyce Carol Oates |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Third of the Wonderland Quartet and the 1970 National Book Award winner; the title is styled in lowercase as them |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Third of the Wonderland Quartet and the 1970 National Book Award winner; the title is styled in lowercase as them. Vanguard Press did not print a stated First Edition line on this title; the first printing is identified by a copyright page that carries the Vanguard imprint and 1969 date with no later-printing notation. First-issue trade copies retain a price-present dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US Vanguard Press 1969 printing is the true first. Because the National Book Award drove additional printings, confirm the copyright page shows no second- or later-printing statement, since Vanguard signals later printings rather than stating First Edition on the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition became common after the award. The book-club copy lacks a price on the jacket flap and typically shows a blind-stamped depression on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *them* by Joyce Carol Oates a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/them
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.