# Is "PrairyErth (a deep map)" by William Least Heat-Moon a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of PrairyErth (a deep map) by William Least Heat-Moon (Houghton Mifflin, 1991) is identified by: First printing with the Houghton Mifflin imprint, Boston, 1991, with the full number line present on the copyright page and a priced first-issue dust jacket. The US Houghton Mifflin 1991 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing with the Houghton Mifflin imprint, Boston, 1991, with the full number line present on the copyright page and a priced first-issue dust jacket
- Quarter-bound in black cloth over tan boards with gold spine lettering; maps of Chase County, Kansas, as chapter headings and endpapers
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Least Heat-Moon |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing with the Houghton Mifflin imprint, Boston, 1991, with the full number line present on the copyright page and a priced… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing with the Houghton Mifflin imprint, Boston, 1991, with the full number line present on the copyright page and a priced first-issue dust jacket. Quarter-bound in black cloth over tan boards with gold spine lettering; maps of Chase County, Kansas, as chapter headings and endpapers.

## Is this the true first?
The US Houghton Mifflin 1991 edition is the true first. The UK edition is a separate state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguished from reprints by the complete first-printing number line and the priced first-issue jacket; book-club copies omit these and carry a blind stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *PrairyErth (a deep map)* by William Least Heat-Moon a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/prairyerth-a-deep-map
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.