diff --git a/src/ludus/collections.clj b/src/ludus/collections.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5637314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ludus/collections.clj
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+(ns ludus.collections)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ludus/interpreter.clj b/src/ludus/interpreter.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8eddf7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ludus/interpreter.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+(ns ludus.interpreter
+	(:require
+		[ludus.parser :as parser]
+		[ludus.scanner :as scanner]
+		[ludus.ast :as ast]
+		[ludus.collections :as colls]
+		[clojure.pprint :as pp]))
+
+;; right now this is not very efficient:
+;; it's got runtime checking
+;; we should be able to do these checks statically
+;; that's for later, tho
+(defn- resolve [word ctx-atom]
+	(let [ctx @ctx-atom]
+		(if (contains? ctx word)
+			(get ctx word)
+			(if (contains? ctx ::parent)
+				(recur word (::parent ctx))
+				(throw (new Exception (str "Unbound name: " word)))))))
+
+(declare interpret)
+
+(defn- match [pattern value ctx-atom]
+	(let [ctx @ctx-atom]
+		(case (::ast/type pattern)
+			::ast/atom
+			(let [match-value (:value pattern)]
+				(if (= match-value value)
+					{:success true :ctx {}}
+					{:success false 
+						:reason (str "No match: Could not match " match-value " with " value)}))
+	
+			::ast/word
+			(let [word (:word pattern)]
+				(if (contains? ctx word)
+					{:success false :reason (str "Name " word " is already bound")}
+					{:success true :ctx {word value}}
+					))
+	
+			(do
+				(println "ERROR! Unexpected pattern:")
+				(pp/pprint pattern)
+			)
+			)))
+
+(defn- update-ctx [ctx new-ctx]
+	(merge ctx new-ctx))
+
+;; TODO: get "if let" pattern working
+(defn- interpret-let [ast ctx]
+	(let [pattern (:pattern ast)
+		expr (:expr ast)
+		value (interpret expr ctx)
+		match (match pattern value ctx)
+		success (:success match)]
+		(if success
+			(swap! ctx update-ctx (:ctx match))
+			(throw (new Exception (:reason match))))
+		value
+		))
+
+(defn- interpret-if [ast ctx]
+	(let [if-expr (:if ast)
+		then-expr (:then ast)
+		else-expr (:else ast)
+		if-value (interpret if-expr ast)]
+		(if if-value
+			(interpret then-expr ctx)
+			(interpret else-expr ctx)
+			)))
+
+(defn interpret [ast ctx]
+	(case (::ast/type ast)
+
+		::ast/atom (:value ast)
+
+		::ast/word (resolve (:word ast) ctx)
+
+		::ast/let (interpret-let ast ctx)
+
+		::ast/if (interpret-if ast ctx)
+
+		::ast/block
+		(let [exprs (:exprs ast)
+			inner (pop exprs)
+			last (peek exprs)
+			ctx (atom {::parent ctx})]
+			(run! #(interpret % ctx) inner)
+			(interpret last ctx)
+			)
+
+		::ast/script
+		(let [exprs (:exprs ast)
+			inner (pop exprs)
+			last (peek exprs)
+			ctx (atom ctx)
+			]
+			(run! #(interpret % ctx) inner)
+			(interpret last ctx)
+			)
+
+		;; note that the runtime representations of collections is
+		;; unboxed in the tree-walk interpreter
+		::ast/tuple
+		(let [members (:members ast)]
+			(into [::colls/tuple] (map #(interpret % ctx)) members))
+
+		::ast/list
+		(let [members (:members ast)]
+			(into [::colls/list] (map #(interpret % ctx)) members))
+
+		::ast/set
+		(let [members (:members ast)]
+			(into #{} (map #(interpret % ctx)) members))
+
+		(do 
+			(println "ERROR! Unexpected AST node:")
+			(pp/pprint ast)
+			)
+
+		))
+
+
+(do
+
+(def source "
+	
+")
+
+(println "")
+(println "****************************************")
+(println "*** *** NEW INTERPRETATION *** ***")
+(println "")
+
+(-> source
+	(scanner/scan)
+	(parser/parse) 
+	(::parser/ast)
+	(interpret {})
+	(pp/pprint)
+))
\ No newline at end of file