# Is "Riprap & Cold Mountain Poems" by Gary Snyder a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Riprap & Cold Mountain Poems by Gary Snyder (Four Seasons Foundation, 1965) is identified by: Wrappers, issued as 'Writing 7' in the Four Seasons series; dark brown stapled wrappers. First thus (enlarged), 1965 Four Seasons Foundation; distinct from the 1959 Origin Press Riprap.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Wrappers, issued as 'Writing 7' in the Four Seasons series; dark brown stapled wrappers
- First-issue points: no price printed on the rear wrapper and no date on the title page
- Adds Snyder's Han Shan 'Cold Mountain' translations to the earlier Riprap text
- Publisher imprint reads Four Seasons Foundation
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gary Snyder |
| Publisher | Four Seasons Foundation |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Wrappers, issued as 'Writing 7' in the Four Seasons series; dark brown stapled wrappers |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Wrappers, issued as 'Writing 7' in the Four Seasons series; dark brown stapled wrappers. First-issue points: no price printed on the rear wrapper and no date on the title page. Adds Snyder's Han Shan 'Cold Mountain' translations to the earlier Riprap text.

## Is this the true first?
First thus (enlarged), 1965 Four Seasons Foundation; distinct from the 1959 Origin Press Riprap.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Riprap & Cold Mountain Poems* by Gary Snyder a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/riprap-cold-mountain-poems
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.