# Is "Spanking the Maid" by Robert Coover a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Spanking the Maid by Robert Coover (Bruccoli Clark / Grove Press, 1982) is identified by: The true first is the Bruccoli Clark Publishers limited edition of 1981, a signed and numbered issue of 600 copies illustrated by Rikki Ducornet (copies I to XCV specially bound with a leaf of the author's manuscript). True first is the Bruccoli Clark Publishers signed/numbered limited edition (1981); the Grove Press trade edition of 1982 is the first trade appearance and follows it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the Bruccoli Clark Publishers limited edition of 1981, a signed and numbered issue of 600 copies illustrated by Rikki Ducornet (copies I to XCV specially bound with a leaf of the author's manuscript)
- The Grove Press trade hardcover of 1982 follows, identified by a number line including 1 and a priced dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Bruccoli Clark / Grove Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Coover |
| Publisher | Bruccoli Clark / Grove Press |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the Bruccoli Clark Publishers limited edition of 1981, a signed and numbered issue of 600 copies illustrated by Rikki… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The true first is the Bruccoli Clark Publishers limited edition of 1981, a signed and numbered issue of 600 copies illustrated by Rikki Ducornet (copies I to XCV specially bound with a leaf of the author's manuscript). The Grove Press trade hardcover of 1982 follows, identified by a number line including 1 and a priced dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the Bruccoli Clark Publishers signed/numbered limited edition (1981); the Grove Press trade edition of 1982 is the first trade appearance and follows it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Spanking the Maid* by Robert Coover a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/spanking-the-maid
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.