# Is "Jitney" by August Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Jitney by August Wilson (Overlook Press, 2001) is identified by: Cloth in dust jacket with printed price on the flap; Overlook Press hardcover (ISBN 1-58567-186-X), 120 pages, the first published book form of the play. The Overlook Press hardcover is the first book edition of the play, which was written in 1979, first produced in 1982 at Pittsburgh's Allegheny Repertory Theatre, and reached Off-Broadway in 2000 before this first print publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cloth in dust jacket with printed price on the flap
- Overlook Press hardcover (ISBN 1-58567-186-X), 120 pages, the first published book form of the play
- Identify the first printing by the number line on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Overlook Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | August Wilson |
| Publisher | Overlook Press |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cloth in dust jacket with printed price on the flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Cloth in dust jacket with printed price on the flap; Overlook Press hardcover (ISBN 1-58567-186-X), 120 pages, the first published book form of the play. Identify the first printing by the number line on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The Overlook Press hardcover is the first book edition of the play, which was written in 1979, first produced in 1982 at Pittsburgh's Allegheny Repertory Theatre, and reached Off-Broadway in 2000 before this first print publication. Verified as an Overlook Press publication, ISBN 1585671861.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No conventional book club edition is the concern. Note that a later Overlook trade printing exists under ISBN 1-58567-370-6; identify the true first by the earlier ISBN and the number line on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Jitney* by August Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/jitney
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.