# Is "Desert Quartet: An Erotic Landscape" by Terry Tempest Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Desert Quartet: An Erotic Landscape by Terry Tempest Williams (Pantheon, 1995) is identified by: Pantheon Books, New York, first printing with number line descending to 1; dated 1995; illuminated with artwork by Mary Frank. True first US edition, with drawings and paintings by Mary Frank.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pantheon Books, New York, first printing with number line descending to 1; dated 1995; illuminated with artwork by Mary Frank
- Issued as a jacketed hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Pantheon
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Tempest Williams |
| Publisher | Pantheon |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pantheon Books, New York, first printing with number line descending to 1; dated 1995… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Pantheon Books, New York, first printing with number line descending to 1; dated 1995; illuminated with artwork by Mary Frank. Issued as a jacketed hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition, with drawings and paintings by Mary Frank.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition concern.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Desert Quartet: An Erotic Landscape* by Terry Tempest Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/desert-quartet-an-erotic-landscape
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.