# Is "The Sermons of Jean Harlow & the Curses of Billy the Kid" by Michael McClure a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sermons of Jean Harlow & the Curses of Billy the Kid by Michael McClure (Four Seasons Foundation / Dave Haselwood Books, 1968) is identified by: Four Seasons Foundation with Dave Haselwood Books, San Francisco, 1968 (Haselwood 17). True first is the 1968 wrappered original (edition of 1200, letterpress by Haselwood).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Four Seasons Foundation with Dave Haselwood Books, San Francisco, 1968 (Haselwood 17)
- The primary issue is saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 24 pages, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood in an edition of 1200 copies, with no later-printing statement
- A deluxe issue of 50 copies was bound in printed paper-covered boards and signed
- Age-toning to the wrappers is typical
- Publisher imprint reads Four Seasons Foundation / Dave Haselwood Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael McClure |
| Publisher | Four Seasons Foundation / Dave Haselwood Books |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Four Seasons Foundation with Dave Haselwood Books, San Francisco, 1968 (Haselwood 17) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Four Seasons Foundation with Dave Haselwood Books, San Francisco, 1968 (Haselwood 17). The primary issue is saddle-stapled in printed wrappers, 24 pages, letterpress printed by Dave Haselwood in an edition of 1200 copies, with no later-printing statement. A deluxe issue of 50 copies was bound in printed paper-covered boards and signed. Age-toning to the wrappers is typical.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1968 wrappered original (edition of 1200, letterpress by Haselwood). The signed deluxe issue of 50 in printed boards is the same first edition in a superior binding.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sermons of Jean Harlow & the Curses of Billy the Kid* by Michael McClure a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sermons-of-jean-harlow-the-curses-of-billy-the-kid
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.