Sonny Software

MLA in-text citations are typically (Author page). For example:

... thus ousting the Romans (Hanks 45).

When more than one text by an author is used, it's easy in Bookends to specify the correct text in \backslashes\. I don't mind that system a bit.

However, MLA also has the provision that if the author is mentioned in the text, the name should not appear in the citation. For example:

... Hanks saw this as the cause of the Roman conflict (45).

Having search the doc, this forum, and clicking around on different formatting options, I'm stuck. Right now, my best solution is to simply duplicate the information outside the reference and suppress the reference in the text:

... Hanks saw this as the cause of the Roman conflict {!Hanks, '02, Journal of Roman Conflict Studies@45}(45).

Of course, I could leave off the "@45" in the reference, but I'm still hoping for a Bookends solution, and I like the consistency of keeping track of all my crucial MLA information inside the Mellel/Bookends object.

I've tried using the %, hoping that the MLA format might be smart enough to realize that the date never appears in the in-text citation, but alas, it is not smart enough to realize that. Is there a little-known (to me) solution? Can I use one of the many handy symbols in my temporary citation which would make this simple, fast, convenient, and happy?

Hi terceiro,

The solution you found, to suppress the citation, is the correct one. Actually, this feature was created to deal with this exact situation.

Jon
Sonny Software

Jon wrote:Hi terceiro,

The solution you found, to suppress the citation, is the correct one. Actually, this feature was created to deal with this exact situation.

Jon
Sonny Software

I can work with that. Ideally, of course, I'd like to have a solution within Bookends: there's something that makes my poor little brain cough when I have to do a citation both within and without Bookends at the same time. It feels a little, I dunno, wasteful. Maybe someday we could work in a way that uses a symbol to override the author's name but still keep the page reference.

For instance, it has a better logical flow (for me) to have

{!!holmes, '02, journal of annoying software users@55} or even
{!!holmes, '02, journal of annoying software users \ 55\} than to have
{!holmes, '02, journal of annoying software users}(55)

Especially in Mellel, where the temporary citation becomes an object. Keeping all the citation information together, inside that object, is very useful. Of course, I just made up the double-bang as a way to say "please suppress this citation, except for anything between backslashes or the @-sign."

Don't lose sleep over this. I also want a new car and a big raise. And someone to help me fix the sprinkler problem in the front yard. Yes, it would be better (for me) the way I describe it, but I can cope quite well (and without any negative effects in my writing) the way it is.

Maybe for version 10?

We'll see. Actually, in your case this feature would have to be implemented by Mellel itself (with cooperation from Bookends).

Jon
Sonny Software