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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1929) is identified by: First printing has 1929 on both the title page and the copyright page, no mention of any prize anywhere in the book, and the Riverside Press pan-and-dolphin colophon printed in red rather than black. US Houghton Mifflin 1929 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 1929 on both the title page and the copyright page, no mention of any prize anywhere in the book, and the Riverside Press pan-and-dolphin colophon printed in red rather than black
- Decorated cloth with a rust-red top stain, in a first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oliver La Farge |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Company |
| Year | 1929 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has 1929 on both the title page and the copyright page, no mention of any prize anywhere in the book, and the Riverside… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 1929 on both the title page and the copyright page, no mention of any prize anywhere in the book, and the Riverside Press pan-and-dolphin colophon printed in red rather than black. Decorated cloth with a rust-red top stain, in a first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin 1929 is the true first edition. Some copies carry a laid-in author signature or an inscription, but these are signed trade copies, not a distinct limited issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Grosset & Dunlap reprints and later Houghton Mifflin printings are clearly marked; later printings also reference the Pulitzer Prize. No major book-club edition concern.

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