# Is "Silk Parachute" by John McPhee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Silk Parachute by John McPhee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, New York, 2010, ISBN 9780374263737, stated "First edition, 2010" on the copyright page with the FSG odd-even number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. US true first (FSG, New York, 2010).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, New York, 2010, ISBN 9780374263737, stated "First edition, 2010" on the copyright page with the FSG odd-even number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
- Collection of ten essays; the title piece is McPhee's most anthologized
- The first-issue FSG dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present and unclipped on a true first-issue jacket)
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John McPhee |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, New York, 2010, ISBN 9780374263737, stated "First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, New York, 2010, ISBN 9780374263737, stated "First edition, 2010" on the copyright page with the FSG odd-even number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. Collection of ten essays; the title piece is McPhee's most anthologized. The first-issue FSG dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present and unclipped on a true first-issue jacket).

## Is this the true first?
US true first (FSG, New York, 2010).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No known book-club edition. Confirm the first by the stated "First edition" line and the FSG number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, and keep the priced first-issue jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Silk Parachute* by John McPhee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/silk-parachute
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.