# Is "Elbow Room" by James Alan McPherson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Elbow Room by James Alan McPherson (Little, Brown and Company, 1977) is identified by: Little, Brown 1977 first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' with the 'Published' line dated 1977 and no number line (Little, Brown of this era used a stated-edition method, not a number line). US Little, Brown 1977 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Little, Brown 1977 first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' with the 'Published' line dated 1977 and no number line (Little, Brown of this era used a stated-edition method, not a number line)
- First-issue green cloth in priced jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Alan McPherson |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Little, Brown 1977 first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' with the 'Published' line dated 1977 and no number line (Little… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Little, Brown 1977 first printing: copyright page states 'First Edition' with the 'Published' line dated 1977 and no number line (Little, Brown of this era used a stated-edition method, not a number line). First-issue green cloth in priced jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown 1977 is the true first. Winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the stated 'First Edition' line and carry a blind-stamp to the rear board with an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Elbow Room* by James Alan McPherson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/elbow-room
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.