# Is "Fool for Love and The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill" by Sam Shepard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fool for Love and The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill by Sam Shepard (City Lights, 1983) is identified by: First book appearance in the City Lights paperback (wrappers), 1983, pairing the play with the Sad Lament of Pecos Bill operetta. US City Lights paperback is the true first appearance in book form; the play premiered at the Magic Theatre in 1983.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First book appearance in the City Lights paperback (wrappers), 1983, pairing the play with the Sad Lament of Pecos Bill operetta
- Look for the City Lights imprint and 1983 copyright, no later printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sam Shepard |
| Publisher | City Lights |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First book appearance in the City Lights paperback (wrappers), 1983, pairing the play… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First book appearance in the City Lights paperback (wrappers), 1983, pairing the play with the Sad Lament of Pecos Bill operetta. Look for the City Lights imprint and 1983 copyright, no later printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
US City Lights paperback is the true first appearance in book form; the play premiered at the Magic Theatre in 1983.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A hardcover book club edition of Fool for Love (with dust jacket) does exist and is commonly offered by dealers; it is a later, secondary form, not the City Lights first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fool for Love and The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill* by Sam Shepard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fool-for-love-and-the-sad-lament-of-pecos-bill
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.