# Is "Holy the Firm" by Annie Dillard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Holy the Firm by Annie Dillard (Harper & Row, 1977) is identified by: The first printing states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with no added-printing notice. The US Harper & Row 1977 first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Row, 1977
- The first printing states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with no added-printing notice
- Slim octavo of about 76 pages, tan paper-covered boards backed in brown cloth/linen with copper spine titling; dust jacket carries the printed price and the 'Phoenix' woodcut on the front panel
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Annie Dillard |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Row, 1977 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harper & Row, 1977. The first printing states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with no added-printing notice. Slim octavo of about 76 pages, tan paper-covered boards backed in brown cloth/linen with copper spine titling; dust jacket carries the printed price and the 'Phoenix' woodcut on the front panel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row 1977 first edition. A short, intense companion to Pilgrim; firsts in fine jacket are uncommon.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Identified by the 'FIRST EDITION' statement; later printings add printing notices. No major book-club edition of note.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Holy the Firm* by Annie Dillard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/holy-the-firm
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.