# Is "New and Selected Poems" by Mary Oliver a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver (Beacon Press, 1992) is identified by: National Book Award winner. US Beacon Press; the first printing of the hardcover is the point, and later printings are common.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- National Book Award winner
- First edition, first printing, Beacon Press, 1992, in green cloth-backed boards with gilt lettering, in a dust jacket designed by Dede Cummings
- Identify the first printing by the stated first-edition wording on the copyright page
- Later reissued as 'Volume One' after a second volume appeared in 2005
- Publisher imprint reads Beacon Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Oliver |
| Publisher | Beacon Press |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | National Book Award winner |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
National Book Award winner. First edition, first printing, Beacon Press, 1992, in green cloth-backed boards with gilt lettering, in a dust jacket designed by Dede Cummings. Identify the first printing by the stated first-edition wording on the copyright page. Later reissued as 'Volume One' after a second volume appeared in 2005.

## Is this the true first?
US Beacon Press; the first printing of the hardcover is the point, and later printings are common.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; confirm the stated first edition on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *New and Selected Poems* by Mary Oliver a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/new-and-selected-poems
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.