# Is "Openings" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Openings by Wendell Berry (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968) is identified by: Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1968 (Freedman A7a); poems, 67 pages, octavo. True first US edition of the poetry collection Openings; no preceding UK or trade issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1968 (Freedman A7a); poems, 67 pages, octavo
- First edition per the copyright page with no later-printing statement
- Issued in a dust jacket carrying the publisher's printed price, which should be present on an unrestored jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace & World
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1968 (Freedman A7a); poems, 67 pages, octavo |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harcourt, Brace & World, New York, 1968 (Freedman A7a); poems, 67 pages, octavo. First edition per the copyright page with no later-printing statement. Issued in a dust jacket carrying the publisher's printed price, which should be present on an unrestored jacket.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of the poetry collection Openings; no preceding UK or trade issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club concern for the Harcourt first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Openings* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/openings
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.