# Is "Three Tall Women" by Edward Albee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Three Tall Women by Edward Albee (Dutton, 1995) is identified by: The first edition is the Dutton, New York hardcover of 1995, stated First edition on the copyright page. The Dutton New York hardcover of 1995 is the true first edition, not a paperback.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition is the Dutton, New York hardcover of 1995, stated First edition on the copyright page
- It is bound in quarter black cloth over blue paper boards with gold lettering on the spine, a slim octavo of roughly 110 pages
- Jacket art is by Steve Ash, and a first-issue jacket retains the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Albee |
| Publisher | Dutton |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition is the Dutton, New York hardcover of 1995, stated First edition on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first edition is the Dutton, New York hardcover of 1995, stated First edition on the copyright page. It is bound in quarter black cloth over blue paper boards with gold lettering on the spine, a slim octavo of roughly 110 pages. Jacket art is by Steve Ash, and a first-issue jacket retains the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The Dutton New York hardcover of 1995 is the true first edition, not a paperback. A Penguin/Plume trade paperback and a Dramatists Play Service acting edition also exist. The play won the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the year before this first book edition.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Three Tall Women* by Edward Albee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/three-tall-women
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.