# Is "The Quick and the Dead" by Joy Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Quick and the Dead by Joy Williams (Alfred A. Knopf, 2000) is identified by: Borzoi/Knopf first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and a full descending number line to 1; Borzoi colophon. US Knopf hardcover (2000) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Borzoi/Knopf first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and a full descending number line to 1
- Borzoi colophon
- ISBN 0-679-44646-X. First hardcover printing published October 2000
- A 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist
- First-state dust jacket should be present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joy Williams |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Borzoi/Knopf first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and a full descending number line to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Borzoi/Knopf first edition with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and a full descending number line to 1; Borzoi colophon. ISBN 0-679-44646-X. First hardcover printing published October 2000. A 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist. First-state dust jacket should be present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf hardcover (2000) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies typically lack the stated first-edition line and number line and carry no printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Quick and the Dead* by Joy Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-quick-and-the-dead
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.