# Is "Joe" by Larry Brown a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Joe by Larry Brown (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1991) is identified by: First Edition / First Printing stated on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; original price unclipped on the front jacket flap. The US Algonquin 1991 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Edition / First Printing stated on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; original price unclipped on the front jacket flap
- ISBN 0-945575-61-0
- Brown's second novel
- Publisher imprint reads Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry Brown |
| Publisher | Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Edition / First Printing stated on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; original price unclipped on the front… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Edition / First Printing stated on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1; original price unclipped on the front jacket flap. ISBN 0-945575-61-0 (9780945575610). Brown's second novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Algonquin 1991 edition is the true first. Later adapted into the 2013 film.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings show a number line that does not end in 1; no notable book-club blind-stamp issue is associated with the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Joe* by Larry Brown a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/joe
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.