# Is "Almanac of the Dead" by Leslie Marmon Silko a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko (Simon & Schuster, 1991) is identified by: Simon & Schuster, New York, 1991. US Simon & Schuster 1991 is the true first (Silko's second novel).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster, New York, 1991
- Quarter red cloth over orange paper boards, blind-stamped front board, gilt-lettered spine
- 763,[1] pp; color typographic endpapers. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the number line
- Original unclipped color pictorial dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Leslie Marmon Silko |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster, New York, 1991 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster, New York, 1991. Quarter red cloth over orange paper boards, blind-stamped front board, gilt-lettered spine; 763,[1] pp; color typographic endpapers. 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the number line. Original unclipped color pictorial dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster 1991 is the true first (Silko's second novel).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Watch for issues lacking the number line, with a blind-stamp to the rear board, or a price-clipped jacket; these are not the collectible first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Almanac of the Dead* by Leslie Marmon Silko a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/almanac-of-the-dead
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.