# Is "Kill or Cure" by Anne Waldman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kill or Cure by Anne Waldman (Penguin Books, 1994) is identified by: Perfect-bound in pictorial wrappers in the Penguin Poets series, the first printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page. True first is the 1994 Penguin Poets wrappered original; there was no clothbound issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Perfect-bound in pictorial wrappers in the Penguin Poets series, the first printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page
- The octavo runs to about 260 pages; the cover art is credited to Maureen Hunter
- The volume gathers new work plus previously uncollected poems and prose, including a section of the ongoing Iovis
- As a paperback original, look for the printed cover price at the lower rear wrapper rather than a jacket flap
- Publisher imprint reads Penguin Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Waldman |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Perfect-bound in pictorial wrappers in the Penguin Poets series, the first printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 (10 9… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Perfect-bound in pictorial wrappers in the Penguin Poets series, the first printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page. The octavo runs to about 260 pages; the cover art is credited to Maureen Hunter. The volume gathers new work plus previously uncollected poems and prose, including a section of the ongoing Iovis. As a paperback original, look for the printed cover price at the lower rear wrapper rather than a jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1994 Penguin Poets wrappered original; there was no clothbound issue.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kill or Cure* by Anne Waldman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kill-or-cure
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.