Trampoline (2015) Signed First Edition Reference

Trampoline is Robert Gipe’s debut novel, published by Ohio University Press in 2015. The novel follows Dawn Jewell, a teenage girl navigating life in the fictional Canard County, Kentucky — a thinly veiled version of Harlan County. What makes the novel distinctive is Gipe’s integration of hand-drawn illustrations throughout the text, creating a hybrid form that captures the visual culture of Appalachian life alongside the narrative.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Ohio University Press, Athens, Ohio Publication date: 2015 Format: Trade paperback with illustrations

University press publication in paperback — typical of literary fiction from small publishers.

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition: $25–$60
• Unsigned first edition: $8–$15

The illustrated format and university press publication make Trampoline a distinctive object. Gipe’s community work in Harlan County gives his fiction an authenticity that resonates with readers seeking genuine Appalachian voices rather than outside perspectives.