# Is "Blue Pastures" by Mary Oliver a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blue Pastures by Mary Oliver (Harcourt Brace, 1995) is identified by: First edition, Harcourt Brace & Company (New York and San Diego), 1995; stated First Edition on the copyright page. US Harcourt Brace & Company (1995) is the true first; prose collection of fifteen essays, 122 pages.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Harcourt Brace & Company (New York and San Diego), 1995; stated First Edition on the copyright page
- A collection of fifteen prose pieces on nature, writing, and Oliver's life, 122 pages, ISBN 0-15-100190-1
- Issued in cloth-backed boards with dust jacket; the first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped
- An uncorrected proof exists in printed wrappers
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary Oliver |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Harcourt Brace & Company (New York and San Diego), 1995; stated First Edition on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, Harcourt Brace & Company (New York and San Diego), 1995; stated First Edition on the copyright page. A collection of fifteen prose pieces on nature, writing, and Oliver's life, 122 pages, ISBN 0-15-100190-1. Issued in cloth-backed boards with dust jacket; the first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped. An uncorrected proof exists in printed wrappers.

## Is this the true first?
US Harcourt Brace & Company (1995) is the true first; prose collection of fifteen essays, 122 pages.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. A later Harvest/Harcourt trade paperback followed (ISBN 0-15-600215-9); the paperback and any reset later printing are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blue Pastures* by Mary Oliver a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blue-pastures
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.