# Is "Spartina" by John Casey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Spartina by John Casey (Alfred A. Knopf, 1989) is identified by: Knopf, 1989, under the borzoi imprint, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Knopf firsts of this period state the edition rather than using a number line). The US Knopf hardcover of 1989 is the true first, confirmed by the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page and the borzoi imprint; it won the 1989 National Book Award for Fiction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, 1989, under the borzoi imprint, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Knopf firsts of this period state the edition rather than using a number line)
- Quarter-bound in teal/blue-gray paper over boards with a cream-white cloth spine and gilt spine lettering, with a blue top-stain and deckled edges
- The dust jacket is priced on the front flap
- Winner of the 1989 National Book Award for Fiction
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Casey |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, 1989, under the borzoi imprint, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Knopf firsts of this period state the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, 1989, under the borzoi imprint, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page (Knopf firsts of this period state the edition rather than using a number line). Quarter-bound in teal/blue-gray paper over boards with a cream-white cloth spine and gilt spine lettering, with a blue top-stain and deckled edges. The dust jacket is priced on the front flap. Winner of the 1989 National Book Award for Fiction.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover of 1989 is the true first, confirmed by the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page and the borzoi imprint; it won the 1989 National Book Award for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are smaller, blind-stamped on the rear board, and carry an unpriced jacket; the first has the quarter cloth-and-paper binding, blue top-stain, deckled edges, and a priced flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Spartina* by John Casey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/spartina
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.