A good writer, a good listener

 Someone said that the writer William Trevor listened so well he could recommend a good book for you.

He listened so carefully to what you were saying that he could recommend a book that might shed light on the situation you were describing. It was almost as if he were physician writing a prescription after examining a patient.

Trevor described himself as a short-story writer who turned out a novel occasionally. He emphasized the writer’s role as an observer, rather than a participant. He made it a point to listen.