diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9805bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# ncurses test program
+
+Wrote this specifically to demonstrate the relative ugliness of the ncurses
+experience.
+
+Tried my best to split it up in a pleasing-ish way so it's not just a wall
+of gross code and actually kind of readable.
+
+It could be worse, at least it's not GUI programming.