How to identify a first printing
- 2000-2002: 'Pressed Wafer' appeared as a magazine; the first issue (Boston, 2000) is identified by issue number and contents, as issues were not reprinted.
- 2003-2018 (books): perfect-bound and stapled offset poetry, essay, and art books, plus broadsides, chapbooks, and postcards. Identification rests on the COPYRIGHT-PAGE statement: first printings carry no later-printing notice and typically no number line. Given the low reprint rate, a clean copyright page indicates a first.
- Broadsides and chapbooks are identified by collation and any stated limitation; signed or limited states are noted when present.
- The imprint name on the title/copyright page anchors identification; match against the press's title list for the canonical first state.
Notable points & cautions
- Named by Joseph Torra after John Wieners's sequence 'Pressed Wafer'; founded by Torra, Daniel Bouchard, and poet-editor William Corbett, who became the driving force.
- Moved from 9 Columbus Square (Boston) to 375 Parkside Avenue (Brooklyn) to 108 Beacon Street (Somerville); ran until Corbett's death in 2018.
- Strong association with John Wieners, including the 2000 Pressed Wafer Lifetime Achievement Award presented to him and the memorial volume 'The Blind See Only This World.'
- Recent enough that most firsts are identified simply by the absence of a reprint statement.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Pressed Wafer (magazine, from 2000), Pressed Wafer (books, from 2003). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Pressed Wafer book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 2000-2002: 'Pressed Wafer' appeared as a magazine; the first issue (Boston, 2000) is identified by issue number and contents, as issues were not reprinted. 2003-2018 (books): perfect-bound and stapled offset poetry, essay, and art books, plus broadsides, chapbooks, and postcards. Identification rests on the COPYRIGHT-PAGE statement: first printings carry no later-printing notice and typically no number line. Given the low reprint rate, a clean copyright page indicates a first.
Does Pressed Wafer use a number line?
2003-2018 (books): perfect-bound and stapled offset poetry, essay, and art books, plus broadsides, chapbooks, and postcards. Identification rests on the COPYRIGHT-PAGE statement: first printings carry no later-printing notice and typically no number line. Given the low reprint rate, a clean copyright page indicates a first.
Is a book-club edition a Pressed Wafer first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Named by Joseph Torra after John Wieners's sequence 'Pressed Wafer'; founded by Torra, Daniel Bouchard, and poet-editor William Corbett, who became the driving force.
What era does this cover?
This covers Pressed Wafer (2000-2018). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.