# Is "Wild to the Heart" by Rick Bass a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wild to the Heart by Rick Bass (Stackpole Books, 1987) is identified by: Stackpole Books (Harrisburg, PA), first edition, first printing, dated 1987 (ISBN 0-8117-1876-X), with a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. True first US edition; Bass's second book, a collection of essays.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Stackpole Books (Harrisburg, PA), first edition, first printing, dated 1987 (ISBN 0-8117-1876-X), with a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page
- Hardcover of 141 pages with drawings by Elizabeth Hughes, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that on the first state should retain its printed front-flap price and is not price-clipped
- Publisher imprint reads Stackpole Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rick Bass |
| Publisher | Stackpole Books |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Stackpole Books (Harrisburg, PA), first edition, first printing, dated 1987 (ISBN… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Stackpole Books (Harrisburg, PA), first edition, first printing, dated 1987 (ISBN 0-8117-1876-X), with a full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page. Hardcover of 141 pages with drawings by Elizabeth Hughes, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that on the first state should retain its printed front-flap price and is not price-clipped.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; Bass's second book, a collection of essays. The later W. W. Norton paperback (1990, ISBN 0-393-30626-2) is a reprint, not the first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition concern; identify the first by the Stackpole imprint, 1987 date, and full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wild to the Heart* by Rick Bass a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wild-to-the-heart
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.