# Is "Trout Fishing in America" by Richard Brautigan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan (Four Seasons Foundation, 1967) is identified by: First edition is the Four Seasons Foundation paperback (Writing 8 series), first issue with the correct price and series statement; the cover photograph of Brautigan in front of the Ben Franklin statue. The Four Seasons Foundation 1967 paperback is the true first; the Delacorte 1969 hardback is a later 'first thus'.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is the Four Seasons Foundation paperback (Writing 8 series), first issue with the correct price and series statement; the cover photograph of Brautigan in front of the Ben Franklin statue
- No later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Four Seasons Foundation
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Brautigan |
| Publisher | Four Seasons Foundation |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is the Four Seasons Foundation paperback (Writing 8 series), first issue with the correct price and series statement; the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition is the Four Seasons Foundation paperback (Writing 8 series), first issue with the correct price and series statement; the cover photograph of Brautigan in front of the Ben Franklin statue. No later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
The Four Seasons Foundation 1967 paperback is the true first; the Delacorte 1969 hardback is a later 'first thus'. Signed Brautigan firsts are scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Delacorte hardback and later reprints are not the 1967 first; any hardback is a later edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Trout Fishing in America* by Richard Brautigan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/trout-fishing-in-america
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.