# Is "She Had Some Horses signed first" by Joy Harjo a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of She Had Some Horses signed first by Joy Harjo (Thunder's Mouth, 1983) is identified by: The true first edition of She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo is the Thunder's Mouth Press octavo of 1983. Thunder's Mouth Press paperback original, 1983, is the true first; there was no simultaneous hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition of She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo is the Thunder's Mouth Press octavo of 1983
- It was issued as a paperback original in pictorial wraps, with a black spine lettered in white; there is no hardcover or dust jacket at issue
- The first printing shows no additional printing statement on the copyright page — later printings are explicitly noted there (e.g. "Eighth Printing")
- A signed first is a first-printing copy in the original pictorial wraps bearing an authentic author signature
- Publisher imprint reads Thunder's Mouth
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joy Harjo |
| Publisher | Thunder's Mouth |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition of She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo is the Thunder's Mouth Press octavo of 1983 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition of She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo is the Thunder's Mouth Press octavo of 1983. It was issued as a paperback original in pictorial wraps, with a black spine lettered in white; there is no hardcover or dust jacket at issue. The first printing shows no additional printing statement on the copyright page — later printings are explicitly noted there (e.g. "Eighth Printing"). A signed first is a first-printing copy in the original pictorial wraps bearing an authentic author signature.

## Is this the true first?
Thunder's Mouth Press paperback original, 1983, is the true first; there was no simultaneous hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings reprint the same wraps but state their printing (e.g. "Eighth Printing") on the copyright page, and the much later W. W. Norton edition is a separate reissue, not the first. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *She Had Some Horses signed first* by Joy Harjo a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/she-had-some-horses-signed-first
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.