# Is "Because They Wanted To" by Mary Gaitskill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Because They Wanted To by Mary Gaitskill (Simon & Schuster, 1997) is identified by: Simon & Schuster first edition, first printing, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the Simon & Schuster imprint. The US Simon & Schuster hardcover of 1997 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster first edition, first printing, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the Simon & Schuster imprint
- Blue textured boards over speckled paper, gilt spine, in the illustrated dust jacket
- PEN/Faulkner finalist
- Confirm the original jacket price is present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Gaitskill |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster first edition, first printing, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the Simon & Schuster imprint |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster first edition, first printing, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and the Simon & Schuster imprint. Blue textured boards over speckled paper, gilt spine, in the illustrated dust jacket. PEN/Faulkner finalist. Confirm the original jacket price is present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster hardcover of 1997 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the number line and the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Because They Wanted To* by Mary Gaitskill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/because-they-wanted-to
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.