# Is "With Shuddering Fall" by Joyce Carol Oates a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of With Shuddering Fall by Joyce Carol Oates (Vanguard Press, 1964) is identified by: Vanguard Press, New York, 1964. US Vanguard, 1964 is the true first; no simultaneous UK edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Vanguard Press, New York, 1964
- Oates's first novel (her first book was the 1963 story collection 'By the North Gate')
- Octavo, 316 pp., yellow cloth with a mounted black band along the fore-edge, lettering in white, blue, and black, red top-stain
- Red-and-white dust jacket with the price present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joyce Carol Oates |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Vanguard Press, New York, 1964 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Vanguard Press, New York, 1964. Oates's first novel (her first book was the 1963 story collection 'By the North Gate'). Octavo, 316 pp., yellow cloth with a mounted black band along the fore-edge, lettering in white, blue, and black, red top-stain. Red-and-white dust jacket with the price present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Vanguard, 1964 is the true first; no simultaneous UK edition. Vanguard rarely used number lines in this era, so the price-present jacket and absence of any later-printing statement carry the identification.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Vanguard titles were widely book-club reprinted; the book-club issue typically lacks the price on the jacket flap, is often blind-stamped on the rear board, and uses bulkier, cheaper paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *With Shuddering Fall* by Joyce Carol Oates a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/with-shuddering-fall
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.