# Is "Fancy Strut" by Lee Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fancy Strut by Lee Smith (Harper & Row, 1973) is identified by: The first printing has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Harper & Row convention before the 1975 switch to number lines); the copyright page also bears a two-letter month-and-year printing code consistent with 1973. The US Harper & Row edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Harper & Row convention before the 1975 switch to number lines); the copyright page also bears a two-letter month-and-year printing code consistent with 1973
- First-issue jacket priced on the front flap
- A scarce Smith title
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Smith |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Harper & Row convention before the 1975 switch to number lines); the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Harper & Row convention before the 1975 switch to number lines); the copyright page also bears a two-letter month-and-year printing code consistent with 1973. First-issue jacket priced on the front flap. A scarce Smith title.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings remove the First Edition statement or show a later code; no significant book-club edition recorded.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fancy Strut* by Lee Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fancy-strut
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.