# Is "Blue Pastoral" by Gilbert Sorrentino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blue Pastoral by Gilbert Sorrentino (North Point Press, 1983) is identified by: First North Point Press printing, May 1983; ISBN 0-86547-095-2, 315 pages. True first is the 1983 North Point Press edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First North Point Press printing, May 1983
- ISBN 0-86547-095-2, 315 pages
- The hardcover issue is bound in purple cloth over boards with a dust jacket; per North Point practice a simultaneous wraps issue was also produced
- Later reprinted by Dalkey Archive Press
- Publisher imprint reads North Point Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gilbert Sorrentino |
| Publisher | North Point Press |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First North Point Press printing, May 1983 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First North Point Press printing, May 1983; ISBN 0-86547-095-2, 315 pages. The hardcover issue is bound in purple cloth over boards with a dust jacket; per North Point practice a simultaneous wraps issue was also produced. Later reprinted by Dalkey Archive Press.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1983 North Point Press edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable; the Dalkey Archive reissue is a clearly distinct later publication.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blue Pastoral* by Gilbert Sorrentino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blue-pastoral
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.