# Is "Jayber Crow" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry (Counterpoint, 2000) is identified by: Counterpoint (Washington, D.C.) first printing, dated 2000, identified by the full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page. True first US edition of the novel; among Berry's most collected later fiction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Counterpoint (Washington, D.C.) first printing, dated 2000, identified by the full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page
- Bound in magenta/pink boards with a contrasting green cloth spine stamped in gilt; approximately xiv + 363 pages, octavo
- Issued in a brown illustrated dust jacket with tan lettering to the front panel and spine; the jacket should retain its printed price and is not price-clipped for a complete first-issue example
- ISBN 1-58243-029-4
- Publisher imprint reads Counterpoint
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Counterpoint |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Counterpoint (Washington, D.C.) first printing, dated 2000, identified by the full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Counterpoint (Washington, D.C.) first printing, dated 2000, identified by the full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) on the copyright page. Bound in magenta/pink boards with a contrasting green cloth spine stamped in gilt; approximately xiv + 363 pages, octavo. Issued in a brown illustrated dust jacket with tan lettering to the front panel and spine; the jacket should retain its printed price and is not price-clipped for a complete first-issue example. ISBN 1-58243-029-4.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of the novel; among Berry's most collected later fiction. Confirm the first printing by the number line ending in 1 together with the magenta-board/green-spine binding.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition concern; the trade first is identified by the complete number line ending in 1, and the paperback (ISBN 1-58243-160-6) is a separate later issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Jayber Crow* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/jayber-crow
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.