# Is "Failure" by Philip Schultz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Failure by Philip Schultz (Harcourt, 2007) is identified by: Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. US Harcourt (2007) is the true first, issued as a paperback original.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
- The Harcourt first edition
- was a paperback original in printed wrappers (Harcourt/Harvest), ISBN 978-0-15-603128-8; there was no separate jacketed trade hardcover
- Look for first-printing indicia and a complete number line on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Philip Schultz |
| Publisher | Harcourt |
| Year | 2007 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The Harcourt first edition (2007) was a paperback original in printed wrappers (Harcourt/Harvest), ISBN 978-0-15-603128-8; there was no separate jacketed trade hardcover. Look for first-printing indicia and a complete number line on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt (2007) is the true first, issued as a paperback original.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Failure* by Philip Schultz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/failure
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.