# Is "Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse" by Anne Carson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse by Anne Carson (Alfred A. Knopf, 1998) is identified by: First edition so stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1; publisher's cream boards backed with bronze cloth, gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket with original price; 149 pp; ISBN 0375401334. US Knopf is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition so stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1; publisher's cream boards backed with bronze cloth, gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket with original price
- ISBN 0375401334
- Published 1998
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Carson |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | First edition so stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1; publisher's cream boards backed with bronze cloth… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition so stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1; publisher's cream boards backed with bronze cloth, gilt spine lettering, in dust jacket with original price; 149 pp; ISBN 0375401334. Published 1998.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first. Signed and inscribed copies are sought. A Vintage Contemporaries paperback followed as a later issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Vintage Contemporaries paperback, or any copy lacking the 'First Edition' statement or with a number line not reaching 1, is a reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse* by Anne Carson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/autobiography-of-red-a-novel-in-verse
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.