# Is "Sixty Stories" by Donald Barthelme a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sixty Stories by Donald Barthelme (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1981) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First printing.' No number line on this title — the original record's reference to a number line was inaccurate and has been removed. True first is the 1981 G.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First printing.' No number line on this title — the original record's reference to a number line was inaccurate and has been removed
- Price-intact dust jacket on the true first trade issue
- Career-spanning selection of stories
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald Barthelme |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First printing.' No number line on this title — the original record's reference to a number line was inaccurate and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First printing.' No number line on this title — the original record's reference to a number line was inaccurate and has been removed. Price-intact dust jacket on the true first trade issue. Career-spanning selection of stories.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1981 G. P. Putnam's Sons trade hardcover. A signed, numbered limited edition of 500 copies was also issued by Putnam in the same year and precedes/parallels the trade issue as a separate state.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sixty Stories* by Donald Barthelme a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sixty-stories
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.