# Is "Winter: Notes from Montana" by Rick Bass a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Winter: Notes from Montana by Rick Bass (Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence, 1991) is identified by: Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence (Boston) first printing, 1991, an octavo of 162 pages with black-and-white drawings by Elizabeth Hughes. True first US edition, published by Houghton Mifflin (February 1991).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence (Boston) first printing, 1991, an octavo of 162 pages with black-and-white drawings by Elizabeth Hughes
- Bound in quarter white cloth over grey paper boards with orange lettering on the front board and spine; issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap
- A first edition of this title is the first printing unless the copyright page states otherwise
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rick Bass |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence (Boston) first printing, 1991, an octavo of 162 pages with black-and-white drawings by Elizabeth Hughes |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence (Boston) first printing, 1991, an octavo of 162 pages with black-and-white drawings by Elizabeth Hughes. Bound in quarter white cloth over grey paper boards with orange lettering on the front board and spine; issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap. A first edition of this title is the first printing unless the copyright page states otherwise.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition, published by Houghton Mifflin (February 1991).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition concern; the common later survival is the trade paperback reissue, distinguished from the cloth-backed 1991 hardcover by binding and imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Winter: Notes from Montana* by Rick Bass a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/winter-notes-from-montana
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.