# Is "Writings to an Unfinished Accompaniment" by W.S. Merwin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Writings to an Unfinished Accompaniment by W.S. Merwin (Atheneum, 1973) is identified by: First edition, Atheneum, New York, 1973, cloth in dust jacket. US Atheneum, 1973.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Atheneum, New York, 1973, cloth in dust jacket
- Atheneum stated First Edition on the copyright page for its firsts in this period, with no later-printing statement present on the true first
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W.S. Merwin |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Atheneum, New York, 1973, cloth in dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Atheneum, New York, 1973, cloth in dust jacket. Atheneum stated First Edition on the copyright page for its firsts in this period, with no later-printing statement present on the true first.

## Is this the true first?
US Atheneum, 1973.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Writings to an Unfinished Accompaniment* by W.S. Merwin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/writings-to-an-unfinished-accompaniment
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.