We don’t even know the real name of the 11th century author Murasaki Shikibu. But we do know that her book, The Tale of Genji, is arguably one of the most influential Japanese texts to date. Genji quickly captured its readers’ imaginations with political intrigue and court drama, but it can also be read as an astute critique of Japanese elite society. Reginald Jackson is an associate professor of Pre-modern Japanese Literature and Performance at the University of Michigan. He is the author of Textures of Mourning.

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