Riding the Earthboy 40

US-only true first: The World Publishing Company, New York, 1971 — Welch's first book. Scarce for a documented reason: dealers consistently report that World folded as the book was being introduced and the edition was never properly distributed. The trap on this title is the Harper & Row edition (New York; dated 1975 or 1976 in dealer listings, most commonly 1976), which is a REVISED AND EXPANDED edition adding seven new poems — a "first thus," not the first, though many sellers list it simply as "First Edition"; a simultaneous Harper paperback of the revised text exists. Later Carnegie Mellon/Confluence (1997) and Penguin Poets (2004) issues reprint the revised text and are reprints.