How do I cite an authored work contained in another authored work, like an essay in a textbook?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.

To cite an essay with an author in a textbook with authors rather than editors, follow the MLA format template and list the authors of the textbook in the “Other contributors” slot:

Graff, Gerald. “Disliking Books.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Practical Guide, by Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky, 2nd ed., Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2012, pp. 22-26.