# Is "Nathan Coulter" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry (Houghton Mifflin, 1960) is identified by: Houghton Mifflin, 1960, with the first printing stated on the copyright page; 1960 also on the title page. True first US edition; Berry's first book and first novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Houghton Mifflin, 1960, with the first printing stated on the copyright page
- 1960 also on the title page
- Black cloth, black top edge, 204 pages, printed by The Riverside Press, Cambridge; dust jacket priced 3.50 (unclipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Houghton Mifflin, 1960, with the first printing stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Houghton Mifflin, 1960, with the first printing stated on the copyright page; 1960 also on the title page. Black cloth, black top edge, 204 pages, printed by The Riverside Press, Cambridge; dust jacket priced 3.50 (unclipped).

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; Berry's first book and first novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club concern for the stated first printing; later Counterpoint reissues carry Berry's revised text and are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nathan Coulter* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nathan-coulter
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.