# Is "Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts" by Donald Barthelme a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts by Donald Barthelme (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1968) is identified by: First printing identified by a 'First printing, 1968' statement on the copyright page with no later-printing indicia; note that FSG at this date used no number line. True first is the 1968 Farrar, Straus & Giroux hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing identified by a 'First printing, 1968' statement on the copyright page with no later-printing indicia; note that FSG at this date used no number line
- Dust jacket priced 4.95
- Barthelme's third book, a story collection
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald Barthelme |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing identified by a 'First printing, 1968' statement on the copyright page with no later-printing indicia; note that FSG at this… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing identified by a 'First printing, 1968' statement on the copyright page with no later-printing indicia; note that FSG at this date used no number line. Dust jacket priced 4.95. Barthelme's third book, a story collection.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1968 Farrar, Straus & Giroux hardcover. UK edition Jonathan Cape, 1969.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts* by Donald Barthelme a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/unspeakable-practices-unnatural-acts
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.