# Is "The Names: A Memoir" by N. Scott Momaday a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Names: A Memoir by N. Scott Momaday (Harper & Row, 1976) is identified by: Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line ending in 1; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, with jacket design by Gloria Adelson. The US Harper & Row 1976 edition is the true first; Momaday's Kiowa-rooted memoir.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line ending in 1; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, with jacket design by Gloria Adelson
- Illustrated with family photographs
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | N. Scott Momaday |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line ending in 1; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line ending in 1; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, with jacket design by Gloria Adelson. Illustrated with family photographs.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row 1976 edition is the true first; Momaday's Kiowa-rooted memoir.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Identified by the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and number line ending in 1 plus the priced first-issue jacket; book-club copies lack these and bear a blind stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Names: A Memoir* by N. Scott Momaday a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-names-a-memoir
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.