# Is "Recollected Essays 1965-1980" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Recollected Essays 1965-1980 by Wendell Berry (North Point Press, 1981) is identified by: North Point Press, San Francisco, 1981; issued simultaneously in a cloth hardcover (gray cloth over boards, in dust jacket) and in wrappers. First edition thus, a selected/collected volume gathering essays from 1965 to 1980.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- North Point Press, San Francisco, 1981; issued simultaneously in a cloth hardcover (gray cloth over boards, in dust jacket) and in wrappers
- The cloth hardcover is the collected first
- Identify the first printing by the copyright page showing no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads North Point Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | North Point Press |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | North Point Press, San Francisco, 1981; issued simultaneously in a cloth hardcover (gray… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
North Point Press, San Francisco, 1981; issued simultaneously in a cloth hardcover (gray cloth over boards, in dust jacket) and in wrappers. The cloth hardcover is the collected first. Identify the first printing by the copyright page showing no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
First edition thus, a selected/collected volume gathering essays from 1965 to 1980. The 1981 North Point cloth issue is the collected first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition concern. The cloth issue is the collected first; distinguish it from the simultaneous wrappers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Recollected Essays 1965-1980* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/recollected-essays-1965-1980
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.