# Is "Wolf: A False Memoir" by Jim Harrison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wolf: A False Memoir by Jim Harrison (Simon & Schuster, 1971) is identified by: White cloth boards with bold black lettering on the spine and front board; black top stain (top edge dyed black); octavo, 225 pp. US Simon & Schuster, New York, 1971 is the true first (ISBN 0-671-21057-1).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- White cloth boards with bold black lettering on the spine and front board; black top stain (top edge dyed black); octavo, 225 pp
- Color pictorial dust jacket designed by Paul Bacon, unclipped and retaining its original printed price on the flap
- Harrison's first novel
- Collectors watch for a remainder mark stamped on the bottom of the textblock; copies without such a mark are the more desirable state
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jim Harrison |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | White cloth boards with bold black lettering on the spine and front board; black top stain (top edge dyed black); octavo, 225 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
White cloth boards with bold black lettering on the spine and front board; black top stain (top edge dyed black); octavo, 225 pp. Color pictorial dust jacket designed by Paul Bacon, unclipped and retaining its original printed price on the flap. Harrison's first novel. Collectors watch for a remainder mark stamped on the bottom of the textblock; copies without such a mark are the more desirable state.

## Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster, New York, 1971 is the true first (ISBN 0-671-21057-1). A UK first followed from Eyre Methuen.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the first-printing statement; book-club issues lack the original printed jacket price and use cheaper boards.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wolf: A False Memoir* by Jim Harrison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wolf-a-false-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.