Charles Dickens, visiting America in the mid-19th century, found people there taciturn. He blamed this on a “love of trade”, which limited men’s interests and made them reluctant to volunteer information for fear of tipping their hand to a competitor. It is an odd theory that, if it was ever right, is outdated today. America’s current president is a businessman who rarely holds his tongue.

Other writers have blamed technology, not commerce, for a decline in chat. George Orwell lamented radios left on in homes all day, preventing “serious or even coherent” conversation. And two decades ago Stephen Miller (the American essayist, not Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff) complained about new-fangled digital music players that stopped people from interacting with each other. If you’d like to sharpen your wit and repartee, read the articles below on the art of conversation. They’re also a handy distraction if you want to avoid talking to someone.