# Is "Reasons to Live" by Amy Hempel a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Reasons to Live by Amy Hempel (Alfred A. Knopf, 1985) is identified by: Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line descending to a terminal '1'; Borzoi colophon. The US Knopf hardcover (1985) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line descending to a terminal '1'
- Borzoi colophon
- White paper boards with a grey cloth spine, silver lettering on the front cover and spine; priced dust jacket (spine of the jacket is commonly sunned/darkened)
- ISBN 0-394-53993-1
- Hempel's debut collection (contains 'In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried')
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Amy Hempel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line descending to a terminal '1' |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Borzoi/Knopf copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number-line descending to a terminal '1'; Borzoi colophon. White paper boards with a grey cloth spine, silver lettering on the front cover and spine; priced dust jacket (spine of the jacket is commonly sunned/darkened). ISBN 0-394-53993-1. Hempel's debut collection (contains 'In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried').

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover (1985) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the number-line and the jacket flap price and are lighter in weight.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Reasons to Live* by Amy Hempel a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/reasons-to-live
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.