# Is "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction" by J.D. Salinger a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger (Little, Brown and Company, 1963) is identified by: True first issue was distributed without a dedication leaf and reads 'Seymore' (for 'Seymour') on page 173. US Little, Brown true first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1963.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first issue was distributed without a dedication leaf and reads 'Seymore' (for 'Seymour') on page 173
- Salinger objected, and the publisher inserted a tipped-in dedication leaf, creating the more common second state of the first printing
- Bound in gray cloth with the backstrip stamped in gilt; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.D. Salinger |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first issue was distributed without a dedication leaf and reads 'Seymore' (for 'Seymour') on page 173 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first issue was distributed without a dedication leaf and reads 'Seymore' (for 'Seymour') on page 173. Salinger objected, and the publisher inserted a tipped-in dedication leaf, creating the more common second state of the first printing. Bound in gray cloth with the backstrip stamped in gilt; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown true first; precedes the UK Heinemann edition of 1963. The earliest copies lack the dedication leaf and carry the uncorrected 'Seymore' reading on page 173; only a small number left the publisher in this state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition is blind-stamped on the rear board with an unpriced jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction* by J.D. Salinger a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/raise-high-the-roof-beam-carpenters-and-seymour-an-introduct
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.