# Is "Twelve Moons" by Mary Oliver a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Twelve Moons by Mary Oliver (Little, Brown, 1979) is identified by: First edition, Little, Brown, 1979, in charcoal cloth with silver spine lettering and Oliver's silver facsimile signature on the front board, with ochre endpapers, in dust jacket. US Little, Brown; no prior edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Little, Brown, 1979, in charcoal cloth with silver spine lettering and Oliver's silver facsimile signature on the front board, with ochre endpapers, in dust jacket
- The unclipped front flap price is a first-issue point
- Identify by the stated first-edition line with no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Oliver |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Little, Brown, 1979, in charcoal cloth with silver spine lettering and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Little, Brown, 1979, in charcoal cloth with silver spine lettering and Oliver's silver facsimile signature on the front board, with ochre endpapers, in dust jacket. The unclipped front flap price is a first-issue point. Identify by the stated first-edition line with no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown; no prior edition.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Twelve Moons* by Mary Oliver a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/twelve-moons
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.