# Is "White Shroud: Poems 1980-1985" by Allen Ginsberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of White Shroud: Poems 1980-1985 by Allen Ginsberg (Harper & Row, 1986) is identified by: Trade first edition in original red cloth, the spine lettered in gilt, in dust jacket. Trade first is the 1986 Harper & Row hardcover (ISBN 0060157143).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Trade first edition in original red cloth, the spine lettered in gilt, in dust jacket
- The trade issue states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line descending to 1
- A separate signed limited issue was also produced
- The jacket should carry its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Allen Ginsberg |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Trade first edition in original red cloth, the spine lettered in gilt, in dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Trade first edition in original red cloth, the spine lettered in gilt, in dust jacket. The trade issue states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line descending to 1. A separate signed limited issue was also produced. The jacket should carry its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
Trade first is the 1986 Harper & Row hardcover (ISBN 0060157143). A signed limited issue exists alongside the trade issue.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *White Shroud: Poems 1980-1985* by Allen Ginsberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/white-shroud-poems-1980-1985
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.