For context, this whole interview was a train wreck. I was watching it because I was interested in learning more about Coetzee, and the whole time I was telling myself "Wtf? Something is really off here but I can't put my finger on it." These aren't bozos (it's a Harvard professor and a Nobel Prize winning famous author), so you won't see a full scale blow-up like you do in most videos. But this whole video was just so "off" when I saw it that you could tell it was awkward for all parties.

Coetzee never once smiled or laughed, while the interviewer was nervously laughing at various points. Coetzee shot down most of his questions and clearly thought some were ridiculous (at one point the interviewer asks a long rambling question lasting over a minute, and at the end asks "...is that worth exploring in further detail?" Coetzee replies "No" and the audience laughs). As well, he seemed to be trying to impress Coetzee with his language by asking him questions in convoluted language (throwing out words like "afflatus", etc.). To be honest, it seemed like he didn't know about Coetzee's writings in depth, though he did have a smattering here and there.

I think the last moment when the interviewer says "thanks John" and awkwardly drops his papers by accident summarizes the awkwardness that this video captures.