Last week, my friend Claire was writing a report on why coffee is a miracle. She found an article by two professors. She texted me, panicked: “Do I really have to type both names every time?” I told her, “Yes, but it’s like telling your mom you hung out with both Sarah and Ben, not just Sarah.” She laughed, cited them both, and got an A.
The secret is this: MLA is a system of fairness. It doesn’t care about fame or length of names. It just wants everyone’s work acknowledged. So give those two authors their moment in the spotlight.
If you ever get confused, remember the party analogy. You’re the host, the citation is the introduction, and both authors are guests. Say both names, smile, and move on. Your professor will thank you—and so will Mia and Leo.
Now go cite something. You’ve got this.
