# Is "A Special Providence" by Richard Yates a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Special Providence by Richard Yates (Alfred A. Knopf, 1969) is identified by: Knopf states 'First Edition' on the copyright page accompanied by the Borzoi colophon, with no later-printing notation. The US Knopf printing (October 1969) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf states 'First Edition' on the copyright page accompanied by the Borzoi colophon, with no later-printing notation
- Bound in original blue cloth stamped in silver on the spine, issued in a dust jacket designed by Wendell Minor that should retain its printed jacket price
- The author's third book
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Yates |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf states 'First Edition' on the copyright page accompanied by the Borzoi colophon, with no later-printing notation |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Knopf states 'First Edition' on the copyright page accompanied by the Borzoi colophon, with no later-printing notation. Bound in original blue cloth stamped in silver on the spine, issued in a dust jacket designed by Wendell Minor that should retain its printed jacket price. The author's third book.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf printing (October 1969) is the true first. Less collected than Revolutionary Road; confirm the stated 'First Edition' line with the Borzoi device and the blue cloth stamped in silver.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Knopf first printings of this era state 'First Edition'; later printings drop that statement and add a printing record.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Special Providence* by Richard Yates a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-special-providence
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.