Murasaki Shikibu was a celebrated Japanese novelist, poet, and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court during Japan’s Heian Period (794 to 1185).  She is best known for writing The Tale of Genji, considered by some to be the first novel ever written.  Like many other great artists, Murasaki is attributed with being pretentious, awkward, and difficult to approach.  While this depiction of Murasaki comes from a variety of sources, she was a “forceful personality” as well as a talented writer.