# Is "Mad Dog Blues & Other Plays" by Sam Shepard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mad Dog Blues & Other Plays by Sam Shepard (Winter House, 1972) is identified by: Winter House Ltd (New York) 1972, issued in wrappers as The Winter Repertory 4, with an introduction by Michael McClure. US Winter House 1972 wrappers issue is the first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Winter House Ltd (New York) 1972, issued in wrappers as The Winter Repertory 4, with an introduction by Michael McClure
- Collects Mad Dog Blues, The Rock Garden, Cowboys #2, Cowboy Mouth, Blue Bitch, and Nightwalk
- Publisher imprint reads Winter House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sam Shepard |
| Publisher | Winter House |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Winter House Ltd (New York) 1972, issued in wrappers as The Winter Repertory 4, with an… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Winter House Ltd (New York) 1972, issued in wrappers as The Winter Repertory 4, with an introduction by Michael McClure. Collects Mad Dog Blues, The Rock Garden, Cowboys #2, Cowboy Mouth, Blue Bitch, and Nightwalk.

## Is this the true first?
US Winter House 1972 wrappers issue is the first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mad Dog Blues & Other Plays* by Sam Shepard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mad-dog-blues-other-plays
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.