# Is "But Look, the Morn" by MacKinlay Kantor a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of But Look, the Morn by MacKinlay Kantor (Coward-McCann, 1947) is identified by: First printing of this autobiographical account of the author's Iowa childhood (full title 'But Look, the Morn: The Story of a Childhood'). US first edition; published by Coward-McCann in New York, 1947.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of this autobiographical account of the author's Iowa childhood (full title 'But Look, the Morn: The Story of a Childhood')
- Coward-McCann, New York, 1947
- Publisher imprint reads Coward-McCann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | MacKinlay Kantor |
| Publisher | Coward-McCann |
| Year | 1947 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of this autobiographical account of the author's Iowa childhood (full title 'But Look, the Morn: The Story of a Childhood') |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing of this autobiographical account of the author's Iowa childhood (full title 'But Look, the Morn: The Story of a Childhood'). Coward-McCann, New York, 1947.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition; published by Coward-McCann in New York, 1947. References to 1939/1941 reflect composition dates, not a published edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *But Look, the Morn* by MacKinlay Kantor a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/but-look-the-morn
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.