# Is "One Writer's Beginnings" by Eudora Welty a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty (Harvard University Press, 1984) is identified by: Trade first printing shows a full number line on the copyright page (later printings show a higher low number, e.g. US Harvard University Press first edition is the true first; first-thus memoir.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Trade first printing shows a full number line on the copyright page (later printings show a higher low number, e.g. ending in 4 for the fourth printing); first-state dust jacket priced 10.00 on the front flap
- Memoir drawn from Welty's William E. Massey Sr
- Lectures in the History of American Civilization
- Bound in quarter brown cloth over grey cloth, gilt lettering
- Publisher imprint reads Harvard University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Eudora Welty |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Trade first printing shows a full number line on the copyright page (later printings show a higher low number, e.g. ending in 4 for the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Trade first printing shows a full number line on the copyright page (later printings show a higher low number, e.g. ending in 4 for the fourth printing); first-state dust jacket priced 10.00 on the front flap. Memoir drawn from Welty's William E. Massey Sr. Lectures in the History of American Civilization. Bound in quarter brown cloth over grey cloth, gilt lettering.

## Is this the true first?
US Harvard University Press first edition is the true first; first-thus memoir. A signed, numbered limited edition of 350 copies was issued in a slipcase WITHOUT a dust jacket and is the premium issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No conventional book-club edition; identify printings by the number line (a fully present line down to 1 indicates the first printing). The signed limited carries no jacket — it was issued slipcased only.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *One Writer's Beginnings* by Eudora Welty a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/one-writers-beginnings
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.