# Is "Like Life" by Lorrie Moore a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Like Life by Lorrie Moore (Alfred A. Knopf, 1990) is identified by: Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line ending in a terminal '1'; Borzoi colophon. The US Knopf hardcover (1990) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line ending in a terminal '1'
- Borzoi colophon
- Quarter blue cloth over light-blue paper boards, silver spine lettering; priced dust jacket
- Moore's second story collection (eight stories)
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lorrie Moore |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line ending in a terminal '1' |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line ending in a terminal '1'; Borzoi colophon. Quarter blue cloth over light-blue paper boards, silver spine lettering; priced dust jacket. Moore's second story collection (eight stories).

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover (1990) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later paperbacks and book-club editions are not firsts; the number-line and the jacket flap price are absent on club copies.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Like Life* by Lorrie Moore a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/like-life
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.