# Is "The River Styx, Ohio, and Other Poems" by Mary Oliver a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The River Styx, Ohio, and Other Poems by Mary Oliver (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972) is identified by: First edition, HBJ, 1972, issued in publisher's green cloth with spine lettered in green, in dust jacket. US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich; no prior edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Oliver's second book
- First edition, HBJ, 1972, issued in publisher's green cloth with spine lettered in green, in dust jacket
- Identify by the stated first-edition wording on the copyright page and the absence of any later-printing indicator
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Oliver |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Oliver's second book |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Oliver's second book. First edition, HBJ, 1972, issued in publisher's green cloth with spine lettered in green, in dust jacket. Identify by the stated first-edition wording on the copyright page and the absence of any later-printing indicator.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich; no prior edition. Uncommon in commerce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The River Styx, Ohio, and Other Poems* by Mary Oliver a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-river-styx-ohio-and-other-poems
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.