# Is "The Girl in the Flammable Skirt" by Aimee Bender a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender (Doubleday, 1998) is identified by: Doubleday copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with a full number line descending to 1; Doubleday anchor colophon. US Doubleday hardcover (1998) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Doubleday copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with a full number line descending to 1
- Doubleday anchor colophon
- ISBN 0-385-49215-4
- Published July 1998
- Bender's debut story collection and a New York Times Notable Book; the most collected Bender title, with signed and inscribed copies sought after
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Aimee Bender |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Doubleday copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with a full number line descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Doubleday copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with a full number line descending to 1; Doubleday anchor colophon. ISBN 0-385-49215-4 (9780385492157). Published July 1998. Bender's debut story collection and a New York Times Notable Book; the most collected Bender title, with signed and inscribed copies sought after.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday hardcover (1998) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are lighter, lack the number line and the printed flap price, and may show a small blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Girl in the Flammable Skirt* by Aimee Bender a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-girl-in-the-flammable-skirt
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.