# Is "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" by Katherine Anne Porter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter (Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1939) is identified by: First American trade edition, Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1939. The US Harcourt, Brace edition is the true first; the UK Cape edition of 1939 follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American trade edition, Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1939
- Octavo in sage green cloth, titles stamped in black on spine and front cover, yellow top stain; gathers three short novels (Old Mortality, Noon Wine, and the title novel Pale Horse, Pale Rider); 'first edition' stated on the copyright page; first-issue dust jacket with the original printed flap price
- Author-inscribed and presentation copies exist but are individual associations, not a formally designated issue
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Katherine Anne Porter |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & Company |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American trade edition, Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1939 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American trade edition, Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1939. Octavo in sage green cloth, titles stamped in black on spine and front cover, yellow top stain; gathers three short novels (Old Mortality, Noon Wine, and the title novel Pale Horse, Pale Rider); 'first edition' stated on the copyright page; first-issue dust jacket with the original printed flap price. Author-inscribed and presentation copies exist but are individual associations, not a formally designated issue.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt, Brace edition is the true first; the UK Cape edition of 1939 follows. The previously claimed signed limited issue of 175 copies could not be confirmed in any reliable source and has been removed; only ordinary inscribed copies are documented.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The trade first carries the stated 'first edition' and the priced first-issue jacket. Later printings and reprint editions (including Modern Library) lack the original priced jacket; book-club style copies typically drop the flap price and may bear a blind-stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pale Horse, Pale Rider* by Katherine Anne Porter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pale-horse-pale-rider
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.