South Afrifur Pawdcast interviewed me on 6/24

The Author of the First Novel

I want to  take the time to give a shoutout to Lady Murasaki, a lady of the Imperial Court during the Heian Period, and who penned what many say is the World's First Novel "The Tale of Genji". This point is indeed historically significant. However, what makes the first novel crucial is the fact that Japanese women, during  this era, were barred from learning to write and read the 'high form' Nihongi(Japanese Language) that only men could read and write.
All women, even the noble-born such as Murasaki, had to develop their own script! A female-written 'language'!
Can you imagine us modern writers not only struggling to pen our works, but the necessity to develop the language for said creative works!
And we wordsmiths complain about not finding the right words!