# Is "What Are We Doing Here?: Essays" by Marilynne Robinson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of What Are We Doing Here?: Essays by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018) is identified by: First trade edition states 'First edition, 2018' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade edition states 'First edition, 2018' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1
- FSG hardcover in dust jacket, published February 2018
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marilynne Robinson |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition states 'First edition, 2018' on the copyright page with a full number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First trade edition states 'First edition, 2018' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. FSG hardcover in dust jacket, published February 2018.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the true first.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *What Are We Doing Here?: Essays* by Marilynne Robinson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/what-are-we-doing-here-essays
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.