# Is "About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory" by Barry Lopez a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory by Barry Lopez (Alfred A. Knopf, 1998) is identified by: First American edition, first printing, Alfred A. True first US edition of the essay collection.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, first printing, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1998
- 273 pages
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon; dated 1998
- Eighteen essays
- ISBN 0-679-43454-2
- Issued in dust jacket, which should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Barry Lopez |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, first printing, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1998 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First American edition, first printing, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1998; 273 pages. The copyright page states 'First Edition' with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon; dated 1998. Eighteen essays; ISBN 0-679-43454-2. Issued in dust jacket, which should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of the essay collection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club-edition confusion for the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory* by Barry Lopez a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/about-this-life-journeys-on-the-threshold-of-memory
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.