▁were ▁compet itive ; ▁both ▁introduced ▁educated ▁ladies - in - wait ing ▁to ▁their ▁respective ▁circles ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁rival ry ▁among ▁the ▁women ▁writers . ▁ ▁Sh ō n agon ▁probably ▁left ▁court ▁after ▁Em press ▁Te ishi ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 0 0 6 , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁the ▁two ▁never ▁met , ▁yet ▁Mur as aki ▁was ▁quite ▁aware ▁of ▁Sh ō n agon ' s ▁writing ▁style ▁and ▁her ▁character . ▁She ▁dispar ages ▁Sh ō n agon ▁in ▁her ▁di ary : ▁ ▁Mur as aki ▁is ▁also ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁other ▁women ▁writers ▁at ▁Sh ō sh i ' s ▁court   – ▁poet ▁Iz umi ▁Sh ik ib u , ▁and ▁A kaz ome ▁Em on ▁who ▁author ed ▁a ▁mon og at ari . ▁ ▁Of ▁Iz umi ' s ▁writing ▁and ▁poetry ▁she ▁says : ▁ ▁The ▁di ary ▁and ▁The ▁T ale ▁of ▁Gen ji ▁▁ ▁Mur as aki ' s ▁ ▁The ▁T ale ▁of ▁Gen ji ▁is ▁bare ly ▁mentioned ▁in ▁the ▁di ary . ▁She ▁writes ▁the ▁Emperor ▁had ▁the ▁story ▁read ▁to ▁him , ▁and ▁that ▁colored ▁papers ▁and ▁call ig raph ers ▁had ▁been ▁selected ▁for ▁trans cri ptions ▁of ▁the ▁manuscript ▁– ▁done ▁by ▁court ▁women . ▁In ▁one ▁an ec d ote ▁she ▁tells ▁of ▁Mich in aga ▁s ne aking ▁into ▁her ▁room ▁to ▁help ▁himself ▁to ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁manuscript . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁par alle ls ▁between