# Is "The Old Ways" by Gary Snyder a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Old Ways by Gary Snyder (City Lights Books, 1977) is identified by: City Lights Books (San Francisco), first printing in glossy pictorial wrappers; the copyright page/title-page verso states 'First printing' with a 1977 date code; illustrated by Thomas Pohrt. True first US edition; a collection of six essays, issued only in wrappers.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- City Lights Books (San Francisco), first printing in glossy pictorial wrappers; the copyright page/title-page verso states 'First printing' with a 1977 date code; illustrated by Thomas Pohrt
- Full title The Old Ways: Six Essays
- 96 pages
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gary Snyder |
| Publisher | City Lights Books |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | City Lights Books (San Francisco), first printing in glossy pictorial wrappers; the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
City Lights Books (San Francisco), first printing in glossy pictorial wrappers; the copyright page/title-page verso states 'First printing' with a 1977 date code; illustrated by Thomas Pohrt. Full title The Old Ways: Six Essays. 96 pages.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; a collection of six essays, issued only in wrappers.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; issued in wrappers, so no hardcover trade first to distinguish.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Old Ways* by Gary Snyder a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-old-ways
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.