# Is "Laughing Boy signed first" by Oliver La Farge a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Laughing Boy signed first by Oliver La Farge (Houghton Mifflin, 1929) is identified by: The true first edition, published by Houghton Mifflin in Boston in 1929, has matching 1929 dates on both the title page and the copyright page and no mention of any prize. The true first is the 1929 Houghton Mifflin edition, Boston, identified by matching 1929 title-page and copyright-page dates and the first-issue two-paragraph front flap; later jacket states add Pulitzer wording.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition, published by Houghton Mifflin in Boston in 1929, has matching 1929 dates on both the title page and the copyright page and no mention of any prize
- It is bound in yellow cloth lettered in brown ink on the spine and front board, with a rust-brown top stain
- The first-issue dust jacket carries only two paragraphs of text on the front flap (later-issue jackets carry four) and makes no reference to the Pulitzer; a scarce 'Pulitzer Prize Winner' wraparound belly band accompanies prize-era copies
- La Farge won the 1930 Pulitzer Prize for the novel
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oliver La Farge |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1929 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition, published by Houghton Mifflin in Boston in 1929, has matching 1929 dates on both the title page and the copyright… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition, published by Houghton Mifflin in Boston in 1929, has matching 1929 dates on both the title page and the copyright page and no mention of any prize. It is bound in yellow cloth lettered in brown ink on the spine and front board, with a rust-brown top stain. The first-issue dust jacket carries only two paragraphs of text on the front flap (later-issue jackets carry four) and makes no reference to the Pulitzer; a scarce 'Pulitzer Prize Winner' wraparound belly band accompanies prize-era copies. La Farge won the 1930 Pulitzer Prize for the novel.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the 1929 Houghton Mifflin edition, Boston, identified by matching 1929 title-page and copyright-page dates and the first-issue two-paragraph front flap; later jacket states add Pulitzer wording.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. One of the more straightforward American houses to authenticate. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Laughing Boy signed first* by Oliver La Farge a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/laughing-boy-signed-first
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.