The points of issue
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2022 as a hardcover in dust jacket. Won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The true first is the 2022 FSG hardcover, which states 'First edition, 2022' on the copyright page per standard FSG practice. A later trade paperback exists but is not the first.
Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2022) hardcover is the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Distinguished from the later paperback by the FSG hardcover with dust jacket and the 'First edition, 2022' statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Then the War: And Selected Poems 2007-2020 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2022 as a hardcover in dust jacket. Won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The true first is the 2022 FSG hardcover, which states 'First edition, 2022' on the copyright page per standard FSG practice. A later trade paperback exists but is not the first.
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 Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2022) hardcover is the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. Distinguished from the later paperback by the FSG hardcover with dust jacket and the 'First edition, 2022' statement.
I have a first edition of Then the War: And Selected Poems 2007-2020 — 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.