# Is "The Dead Father" by Donald Barthelme a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Dead Father by Donald Barthelme (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1975) is identified by: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1975; octavo, 177 pp. True first is the 1975 FSG hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1975; octavo, 177 pp
- Copyright page states 'First printing, 1975.' Bound in full cloth with silver-gilt (silver-stamped) spine titles and top edges dyed grey
- Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present on the true first (price-clipping does not by itself demote it)
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald Barthelme |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1975; octavo, 177 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1975; octavo, 177 pp. Copyright page states 'First printing, 1975.' Bound in full cloth with silver-gilt (silver-stamped) spine titles and top edges dyed grey. Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present on the true first (price-clipping does not by itself demote it).

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1975 FSG hardcover. The UK edition followed from Routledge & Kegan Paul in 1976 and is a separate issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club issue; later printings drop the 'First printing, 1975' statement from the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Dead Father* by Donald Barthelme a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-dead-father
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.