# Is "A Slipping-Down Life" by Anne Tyler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Slipping-Down Life by Anne Tyler (Alfred A. Knopf, 1970) is identified by: The copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Knopf borzoi device; the binding is quarter white cloth over yellow paper boards. The US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Knopf borzoi device; the binding is quarter white cloth over yellow paper boards
- Many copies bear a handwritten R remainder mark on the front free endpaper; copies without the remainder mark are markedly scarcer
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Tyler |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Knopf borzoi device; the binding is quarter white cloth over yellow paper boards |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Tyler's fourth novel. The copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Knopf borzoi device; the binding is quarter white cloth over yellow paper boards. Many copies bear a handwritten R remainder mark on the front free endpaper; copies without the remainder mark are markedly scarcer.

## Is this the true first?
The US Alfred A. Knopf 1970 printing is the true first. Remaindered copies carrying the R mark are common; an unmarked, clean copy is the more desirable state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition omits the FIRST EDITION statement, is smaller and lighter, and shows a blind-stamped rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Slipping-Down Life* by Anne Tyler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-slipping-down-life
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.