# Is "Purple America" by Rick Moody a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Purple America by Rick Moody (Little, Brown and Company, 1997) is identified by: Stated FIRST EDITION on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; Little, Brown imprint, ISBN 0316579254. The US Little, Brown hardcover of 1997 (ISBN 0316579254) is the true first; the UK Flamingo edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Stated FIRST EDITION on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1
- Little, Brown imprint, ISBN 0316579254
- Quarterbound in black cloth over purple boards with orange lettering on the spine; issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price
- About 298 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rick Moody |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Stated FIRST EDITION on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Stated FIRST EDITION on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; Little, Brown imprint, ISBN 0316579254. Quarterbound in black cloth over purple boards with orange lettering on the spine; issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price. About 298 pages.

## Is this the true first?
The US Little, Brown hardcover of 1997 (ISBN 0316579254) is the true first; the UK Flamingo edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the number line and the original jacket price and may show a rear-board blind stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Purple America* by Rick Moody a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/purple-america
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.