# Is "Axe Handles" by Gary Snyder a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Axe Handles by Gary Snyder (North Point Press, 1983) is identified by: North Point Press first edition, San Francisco, 1983; poems. True first US edition of the poems; the clothbound hardcover in jacket (ISBN 0-86547-119-3) is the collected first, issued simultaneously with the wrappered softcover (ISBN 0-86547-120-7).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- North Point Press first edition, San Francisco, 1983; poems
- Issued simultaneously in two forms: a clothbound hardcover in dust jacket (ISBN 0-86547-119-3) and a wrappered softcover (ISBN 0-86547-120-7)
- The cloth-in-jacket is the collected hardcover first; some hardcover copies are found signed by Snyder on the title page
- Snyder's first poetry collection following his 1975 Pulitzer for Turtle Island
- Publisher imprint reads North Point Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gary Snyder |
| Publisher | North Point Press |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | North Point Press first edition, San Francisco, 1983; poems |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
North Point Press first edition, San Francisco, 1983; poems. Issued simultaneously in two forms: a clothbound hardcover in dust jacket (ISBN 0-86547-119-3) and a wrappered softcover (ISBN 0-86547-120-7). The cloth-in-jacket is the collected hardcover first; some hardcover copies are found signed by Snyder on the title page. Snyder's first poetry collection following his 1975 Pulitzer for Turtle Island.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of the poems; the clothbound hardcover in jacket (ISBN 0-86547-119-3) is the collected first, issued simultaneously with the wrappered softcover (ISBN 0-86547-120-7).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; distinguish the two simultaneous first-edition issues by binding and ISBN, with the cloth-in-jacket the preferred collected form.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Axe Handles* by Gary Snyder a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/axe-handles
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.