About

I’m Susannah Straughan: writer, editor and fan of all things mid-century.

Since 2010 I’ve been blogging about films, sport, TV and architecture, with a few sorties into the realm of satire. In 2013 I decided to set up another WordPress site, inspired by the 1960s – the decade of my birth.

I chose the name The Taft Hotel because that was the venue for Benjamin’s assignations with Mrs Robinson, in Mike Nichols’s 1967 film The Graduate. (In real life the Taft was the now-demolished Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.)

The Graduate remains one of my favourite movies and you can read my review on my main blog. The Taft Hotel will mainly cover books, design, music and people from – and inspired by – the decade that gave us The Beatles, The Byrds, the James Bond films, Belle de Jour and the beehive hairdo.

Most of the books featured here are from my own collection, thoughtfully preserved by my mother over several decades of never throwing anything away. . .

Please get in touch if you have any questions about any of my posts or suggestions for future blogs.

Thanks for stopping by!