#there was some decent music and a couple of sitcoms and that'a about it

[fictionadventurer]

Reading Helene Hanff's descriptions of 1970s decor to my brother like it's a horror story.

Department stores sell nylon shag bathroom carpeting

"Somehow it gets worse with each word."

I bought my tearose-pink bathroom carpeting

"Ooh. Ouch."

after my friend Richard cut it to fit the floor, he had enough left over to cover the toilet tank

"Augh! No! Make it stop!"

#lol #helene hanff #i reread 84 charing cross road and needed more by her #and my library has #letter from new york #which is a collection of her monthly talks about new york life for the bbc #they're charming #and it's fun to see american things described to a british audience that finds it exotic #but i'm shocked at how much of a period piece it is #things have changed a lot in the last fifty years #and this particular bit only adds to my thesis that the '70s offered almost nothing of value to the culture #there was some decent music and a couple of sitcoms and that'a about it #fashion and interior design makes one wonder how they managed to make things eye-searingly gaudy while sticking mostly to neutrals #books