# Is "For the Time Being" by Annie Dillard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of For the Time Being by Annie Dillard (Alfred A. Knopf, 1999) is identified by: Knopf (New York), 1999, states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon; the copyright page carries the standard Knopf imprint and the Borzoi device. True first US edition (Knopf trade first), 1999.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1999, states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon; the copyright page carries the standard Knopf imprint and the Borzoi device
- The book runs to 205 pages (ISBN 0-375-40380-9)
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price at the top of the front flap and is not price-clipped in first state
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Annie Dillard |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1999, states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon; the copyright page carries the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf (New York), 1999, states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi colophon; the copyright page carries the standard Knopf imprint and the Borzoi device. The book runs to 205 pages (ISBN 0-375-40380-9). The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price at the top of the front flap and is not price-clipped in first state.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition (Knopf trade first), 1999. There is no true UK precedence question; the Knopf printing is the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Easton Press issued a separately produced full-leather signed limited edition in 1999 (limited to about 1,100 copies, gilt edges, silk endpapers, no dust jacket) — this is a distinct publisher's edition, not the Knopf first, and should not be confused with it. Also distinct from the later Vintage paperback. The Knopf hardcover with the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and Borzoi colophon is the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *For the Time Being* by Annie Dillard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/for-the-time-being
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.