diff --git a/linkulator.py b/linkulator.py
index 8f3a5a4..ce64cee 100755
--- a/linkulator.py
+++ b/linkulator.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 ## If this script contains bugs, blame cmccabe.
 
 import getpass
-import readline # pylint: disable=unused-import
+import readline  # pylint: disable=unused-import
 import signal
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -47,8 +47,24 @@ def print_categories():
 def print_category_details(view_cat):
     """produces category detail data, prints it to the console. returns dict
     containing an index of threads"""
-    header = "\n{}\n\n{:>4s}  {:<15s}{:<12s} #RESP   {:<13s}".format(
-        style_text(view_cat["name"].upper(), "bold"), "ID#", "DATE", "AUTHOR", "DESC"
+    columns, _ = get_terminal_size()
+    maxnamelen = len(max(link_data, key=lambda x: len(x[1]))[1])
+    namelen = max(maxnamelen, 6)  # minimum field width is 6
+    desclen = (
+        columns - 18 - namelen - 9 - 1
+    )  # length of available space for the description field.
+    # The terminal width, minus the width of ID and Date fields and padding,
+    # minus the max name length, minus Resp field and padding width, minus the
+    # unread mark width
+
+    header = "\n{}\n\n {:>3s}  {:>10s}  {:<{namelen}s}  {:<5}  {:<s}".format(
+        style_text(view_cat["name"].upper(), "bold"),
+        "ID#",
+        "DATE",
+        "AUTHOR",
+        "#RESP",
+        "DESC",
+        namelen=namelen,
     )
     out = ""
     link_count = 0
@@ -63,10 +79,11 @@ def print_category_details(view_cat):
             new_replies = len(
                 [line for line in replies if line[2] >= config.USER.lastlogin]
             )
+            desc = textwrap.shorten(line[6], width=desclen, placeholder="...")
             newmarker = "*" if new_replies or line[2] >= config.USER.lastlogin else ""
             _dt = datetime.fromtimestamp(float(line[2])).strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
-            out += "{:4d}  {:<15s}{:<12s} [{:3d}]   {:s}{}\n".format(
-                link_count, _dt, line[1], len(replies), line[6], newmarker
+            out += " {:3d}  {:>10s}  {:<{namelen}s}  [{:3d}]  {:s}{}\n".format(
+                link_count, _dt, line[1], len(replies), desc, newmarker, namelen=namelen
             )
 
     if len(out) > 0: