The points of issue
Won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; Trethewey later served as US Poet Laureate. The first edition was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006 (ISBN 9780618604630), with the publisher's first-edition conventions and the full number line on the copyright page; issued in black paper-covered boards with dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
The US Houghton Mifflin edition (2006) is the true first. The first issue precedes a later reissue that added a Pulitzer Prize seal, a redesigned cover, and an accompanying CD, so an early copy without the Pulitzer seal and CD indicates the first issue.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Native Guard a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; Trethewey later served as US Poet Laureate. The first edition was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006 (ISBN 9780618604630), with the publisher's first-edition conventions and the full number line on the copyright page; issued in black paper-covered boards with dust jacket.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Houghton Mifflin edition (2006) is the true first. The first issue precedes a later reissue that added a Pulitzer Prize seal, a redesigned cover, and an accompanying CD, so an early copy without the Pulitzer seal and CD indicates the first issue.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition.
I have a first edition of Native Guard — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.