# Is "Life on Mars" by Tracy K. Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press, 2011) is identified by: Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Smith later served as US Poet Laureate). US Graywolf Press (2011) is the true first, issued as a trade paperback original.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Smith later served as US Poet Laureate)
- The Graywolf Press first edition (Minneapolis, 2011, ISBN 978-1-55597-584-5) is a trade paperback original in printed wrappers
- Confirm the first printing by the first-printing indicia and full number line on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Graywolf Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tracy K. Smith |
| Publisher | Graywolf Press |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Smith later served as US Poet Laureate) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (Smith later served as US Poet Laureate). The Graywolf Press first edition (Minneapolis, 2011, ISBN 978-1-55597-584-5) is a trade paperback original in printed wrappers. Confirm the first printing by the first-printing indicia and full number line on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Graywolf Press (2011) is the true first, issued as a trade paperback original.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; later printings advance the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Life on Mars* by Tracy K. Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/life-on-mars
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.