Here’s the plot twist: you don’t list the author twice on your Works Cited page either. You list the author’s name once, then alphabetize their works by title. Think of it as a sub-list under one superstar.
Example:
Foster, Thomas. How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
---. Twenty-Five Books That Shaped America.
See those three dashes? That’s MLA’s way of saying “this guy again.” It replaces the author’s name entirely. It’s the most polite way to say “you again? We get it, you’re prolific.”
Fun fact: If you have two works by the same author and then a co-authored work, you use the dashes only for the solo works. Co-authored works restart the author name. Yes, it’s a bit petty. MLA loves consistency.
When the Author Is a Ghost (Or a Corpse)
What if you’re citing the same dead author from two anthologies? Like Shakespeare? You still use the same rule, but you add a shortened title to help your reader. Example: (Shakespeare, Hamlet 1.2.34; Shakespeare, Macbeth 2.3.15).
PPT - MLA Source Integration PowerPoint Presentation, free download
This is the only time you repeat the name—because without the title, no one knows which of his 37 plays you mean. And yes, you still use the semicolon. Don’t use a comma here, or you’ll summon a grammar demon.
Surprising fact: The MLA Handbook once included a footnote about using a “shortened title” for authors with more than three works. Most professors have never read that footnote. So just use the title if it’s confusing, and you’ll be fine.
