How to Identify a Four Seasons Foundation First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Do NOT expect a stated 'First Edition' / 'First Published' line or a number line: Four Seasons Foundation, Donald Allen's small poetry press, used no uniform printing-statement or number-line convention. Identification is title-by-title from physical points, not from a printer's key.
• Primary first-issue tell (unpriced wrappers): the true first printing of a Writing-series booklet was issued in stapled or perfect-bound wrappers with NO printed price on the rear cover. A price printed or stamped on the rear cover generally signals a later printing.
• No-date-on-title-page tell: on the flagship title Riprap & Cold Mountain Poems (Writing 7, 1965) the documented first issue has BOTH no price on the rear cover AND no date on the title page. A printed year on the title page (e.g. a '1966' copy) indicates a LATER printing, not the first issue — the absence of a title-page date is the first-state point, so treat any printed date as a later-printing signal.
• Corroborate the two points together: because the first issue is defined by what is absent (no rear-cover price, no title-page date), confirm both rather than relying on either alone, and do not read a missing 'First Edition' statement as evidence against a first — that statement never appears for this press.
• Series-number context: titles are numbered in the 'Writing' series (Writing 1 = Charles Olson bibliography, 1964, running through the 40s; e.g. Writing 42 = Philip Whalen, Heavy Breathing, 1983). The Writing number is a title identifier only — the same number covers first and later printings, so it does not by itself establish a first.
• Limited/signed states: some titles were issued in a small numbered-or-lettered signed state (e.g. 26 lettered and signed, or 50 numbered and signed copies) alongside the ordinary trade wrappers/hardcover; the signed-limited is a distinct issue and should be identified by its stated limitation, not conflated with the ordinary first.

Notable points & cautions

• No sitewide edition statement: the absence of any 'First Edition' wording is normal for this press and is NOT evidence against a first — identify by the physical points (unpriced rear cover, no title-page date on the flagship title) rather than by a missing statement.
• Beware the printed date trap: for the best-documented title (Riprap & Cold Mountain Poems, Writing 7), a title-page year signals a LATER printing — the first issue carries no date. Do not assume the earliest-looking printed year is the first; the undated copy is.
• Formats vary by title (saddle-stapled printed wrappers on early releases, later perfect-bound photo-illustrated wrappers, some titles in both paperback and hardcover), so the physical first-issue points must be checked per title rather than assumed across the series.
• Donald Allen's related imprint Grey Fox Press (Allen became its president c.1971) reissued some of the same authors; a Grey Fox imprint is a separate, later publication, not a Four Seasons Foundation first — match the imprint line exactly.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: Four Seasons Foundation, The Four Seasons Foundation, Writing (series designation; e.g. 'Writing 7'), Grey Fox Press (later related imprint of Donald Allen — separate, later publications). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Four Seasons Foundation book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Do NOT expect a stated 'First Edition' / 'First Published' line or a number line: Four Seasons Foundation, Donald Allen's small poetry press, used no uniform printing-statement or number-line convention. Identification is title-by-title from physical points, not from a printer's key. Primary first-issue tell (unpriced wrappers): the true first printing of a Writing-series booklet was issued in stapled or perfect-bound wrappers with NO printed price on the rear cover. A price printed or stamped on the rear cover generally signals a later printing.

Does Four Seasons Foundation use a number line?

Primary first-issue tell (unpriced wrappers): the true first printing of a Writing-series booklet was issued in stapled or perfect-bound wrappers with NO printed price on the rear cover. A price printed or stamped on the rear cover generally signals a later printing.

Is a book-club edition a Four Seasons Foundation first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. No sitewide edition statement: the absence of any 'First Edition' wording is normal for this press and is NOT evidence against a first — identify by the physical points (unpriced rear cover, no title-page date on the flagship title) rather than by a missing statement.

What era does this cover?

This covers Four Seasons Foundation (1964–1985 (Writing series launched 1964)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.