# Is "The Blood Oranges" by John Hawkes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Blood Oranges by John Hawkes (New Directions, 1971) is identified by: New Directions, New York, 1971. The US New Directions edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions, New York, 1971
- First printing with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; orange-red cloth, spine lettered in gilt; dust jacket designed by Gertrude Huston, carrying the original price to the flap
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Hawkes |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions, New York, 1971 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions, New York, 1971. First printing with no later-printing statement on the copyright page; orange-red cloth, spine lettered in gilt; dust jacket designed by Gertrude Huston, carrying the original price to the flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US New Directions edition is the true first. First volume of the trilogy with 'Death, Sleep and the Traveler' (1974) and 'Travesty' (1976).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later New Directions printings add a printing statement to the copyright page; no major book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Blood Oranges* by John Hawkes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-blood-oranges
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.