# Is "Clearing" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Clearing by Wendell Berry (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1977) is identified by: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1977; quarter black cloth with brown paper over boards. True first US edition (poems), Berry's sixth volume of poetry.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1977; quarter black cloth with brown paper over boards
- First printing carries the copyright-page statement First edition with the letter string BCDE (HBJ dropped the leading A during 1973 to 1983)
- Dust jacket price 6.95, confirmed on first-issue jackets
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1977; quarter black cloth with brown paper over… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1977; quarter black cloth with brown paper over boards. First printing carries the copyright-page statement First edition with the letter string BCDE (HBJ dropped the leading A during 1973 to 1983). Dust jacket price 6.95, confirmed on first-issue jackets.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition (poems), Berry's sixth volume of poetry. The 1977 HBJ hardcover with the First edition / BCDE line is the collected first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition concern. Confirm via the BCDE print line and the matching first-issue jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Clearing* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/clearing
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.