# Is "God Made Alaska for the Indians" by Ishmael Reed a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of God Made Alaska for the Indians by Ishmael Reed (Garland Publishing, 1982) is identified by: Garland Publishing, New York, 1982, first edition. True first is the 1982 Garland Publishing edition; a collection of selected essays.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Garland Publishing, New York, 1982, first edition
- Selected essays
- Issued as a scholarly hardcover in publisher's cloth; copies are generally found without a dust jacket
- There is no number line to confirm printing, so identify by the 1982 Garland imprint on the title and copyright pages
- Publisher imprint reads Garland Publishing
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ishmael Reed |
| Publisher | Garland Publishing |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Garland Publishing, New York, 1982, first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Garland Publishing, New York, 1982, first edition. Selected essays. Issued as a scholarly hardcover in publisher's cloth; copies are generally found without a dust jacket. There is no number line to confirm printing, so identify by the 1982 Garland imprint on the title and copyright pages.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1982 Garland Publishing edition; a collection of selected essays.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable. An advance/review state exists in unbound signatures.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *God Made Alaska for the Indians* by Ishmael Reed a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/god-made-alaska-for-the-indians
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.