# Is "Geography III" by Elizabeth Bishop a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Geography III by Elizabeth Bishop (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976) is identified by: FSG first edition, stated 'First printing, 1976' on the copyright page with no further printings indicated. US true first; Bishop's last collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- FSG first edition, stated 'First printing, 1976' on the copyright page with no further printings indicated
- Bound in brown cloth with the spine lettered in gilt; issued in the pictorial dust jacket designed by Cynthia Krupat, the front panel illustrated in black with books, a globe, and a telescope, and lettered in black
- Contains 'One Art,' 'In the Waiting Room,' 'Crusoe in England,' and 'The Moose.' MacMahon A13
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elizabeth Bishop |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | FSG first edition, stated 'First printing, 1976' on the copyright page with no further printings indicated |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
FSG first edition, stated 'First printing, 1976' on the copyright page with no further printings indicated. Bound in brown cloth with the spine lettered in gilt; issued in the pictorial dust jacket designed by Cynthia Krupat, the front panel illustrated in black with books, a globe, and a telescope, and lettered in black. Contains 'One Art,' 'In the Waiting Room,' 'Crusoe in England,' and 'The Moose.' MacMahon A13.

## Is this the true first?
US true first; Bishop's last collection. The Chatto & Windus UK edition (1977) follows. Signed copies are scarce given her death in 1979.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later printings state a higher printing number on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Geography III* by Elizabeth Bishop a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/geography-iii
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.