# Is "The Dog of the South" by Charles Portis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Dog of the South by Charles Portis (Alfred A. Knopf, 1979) is identified by: True first published by Alfred A. US Knopf 1979 is the true first; no contemporaneous UK edition was published, so there is no British-precedence question.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page — Knopf's consistent first-printing practice, with no number line and no later-printing statement
- Bound in two-tone quarter cloth: a pale (cream/ivory) cloth spine over green paper-covered boards, the spine/front lettered in metallic green (a minority of dealer descriptions call the lettering blue)
- Dust jacket designed by Paul Bacon, priced at the front flap; the title was frequently remaindered, so remainder marks to the lower text-block edge are common and a clean, unmarked copy is the point collectors seek
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Portis |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page — Knopf's consistent… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page — Knopf's consistent first-printing practice, with no number line and no later-printing statement. Bound in two-tone quarter cloth: a pale (cream/ivory) cloth spine over green paper-covered boards, the spine/front lettered in metallic green (a minority of dealer descriptions call the lettering blue). Dust jacket designed by Paul Bacon, priced at the front flap; the title was frequently remaindered, so remainder marks to the lower text-block edge are common and a clean, unmarked copy is the point collectors seek.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1979 is the true first; no contemporaneous UK edition was published, so there is no British-precedence question. Portis's third novel — the census note (US-only for this title) is correct.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No separate book-club edition documented for the first printing. Distinguish the stated 'First Edition' first printing from later Knopf printings that add a printing statement, and from the 1999 Overlook and subsequent reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Dog of the South* by Charles Portis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-dog-of-the-south
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.