"He was sometimes difficult to talk to, because he had no interest
in facile or socially polite conversation, lunch party talk. His
conversation was about things that mattered to him, and he was not made
uncomfortable by hesitations or breaks in an exchange. His silences
appeared to be measuring and sometimes made me anxious. It was years
before I understood that his habit was to brood until he felt moved to
respond."
Alec Wilkinson, My Mentor.
"He" is William Maxwell.