diff --git a/janet/recursive.janet b/janet/recursive.janet
index e12f4bb..567a785 100644
--- a/janet/recursive.janet
+++ b/janet/recursive.janet
@@ -1,20 +1,15 @@
 ### A recursive descent parser for Ludus
 
 ### We still need to scan some things
-(os/cd "janet") # when in repl to do relative imports
+#(os/cd "janet") # when in repl to do relative imports
 (import ./scanner :as s)
 
-### First, some mutual recursion helpers
-(defn unreachable 
- "A function that errors out if called."
- [&] (error "reached the unreachable"))
-
 (defmacro declare
  "Forward-declares a function name, so that it can be called in a mutually recursive manner."
  [& names]
   (def bindings @[])
   (loop [name :in names]
-   (def binding ~(var ,name unreachable))
+   (def binding ~(var ,name nil))
    (array/push bindings binding))
   ~(upscope ,;bindings))
 
@@ -22,7 +17,7 @@
  "Defines a function depended on by another function, that has been forward `declare`d."
  [name & forms]
   (if-not (dyn name) (error "recursive functions must be declared before they are defined"))
-  ~(set ,name (defn ,name ,;forms)))
+  ~(set ,name (defn- ,name ,;forms)))
 
 ### Next: a data structure for a parser
 (defn- new-parser 
@@ -139,7 +134,7 @@
 
 # atoms
 (defn- bool [parser]
- (expect parser :bool)
+ (expect parser :true :false)
  (def curr (-> parser current))
  (def ttype (type curr))
  (def value (if (= ttype :true) true false))
@@ -194,9 +189,6 @@
    {:type :word :data (first-token :lexeme) :token first-token}
   :else {:type :error :msg "string interpolations/patterns must be single words"}))
 
-(def foo [{:foo :bar}])
-(-> foo first (get :foo))
-
 (defn- is-error? [data]
  (cond
   (buffer? data) false
@@ -360,7 +352,7 @@
   (def term (if (check parser :splat)
    (do
     (advance parser)
-    (def splatted (try (word-only parser) ([e] e)))
+    (def splatted (capture word-only parser))
     {:type :splat :data splatted :token origin}
    )
    (capture nonbinding parser)))
@@ -412,7 +404,7 @@
     (def key (try (kw parser) ([e] e)))
     (def value (capture nonbinding parser))
     {:type :pair :data [key value] :token origin})
-   (try (panic parser (string expect "expected dict term, got " (type origin))) ([e] e))
+   (try (panic parser (string "expected dict term, got " (type origin))) ([e] e))
   ))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser) ([e] (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -499,12 +491,16 @@
   (def origin (current parser))
   (def term (case (type origin)
    :splat {:type :splat :data (when (check (advance parser) :word) (word-only parser)) :token origin}
-   :word (capture word-pattern parser)
+   :word (do
+    (def word (capture word-pattern parser))
+    (def name (word :data))
+    (def key {:type :keyword :data (keyword name) :token origin})
+    {:type :pair :data [key word] :token origin})
    :keyword (do
     (def key (capture kw parser))
     (def value (capture pattern parser))
     {:type :pair :data [key value] :token origin})
-   (try (panic parser (string expect "expected dict term, got " (type origin))) ([e] e))
+   (try (panic parser (string "expected dict term, got " (type origin))) ([e] e))
   ))
   (array/push (ast :data) term)
   (try (separators parser) ([e] (array/push (ast :data) e))))
@@ -743,6 +739,7 @@
   (if (check parser :eof) 
    (error {:type :error :token origin :data data :msg "unclosed brace"}))
   (array/push data (capture fn-clause parser)))
+ (advance parser)
  data)
 
 (defn- lambda [parser]
@@ -781,6 +778,7 @@
    (error {:type :error :token origin :data data :msg "unclosed brace"}))
   (array/push data (capture expr parser))
   (terminator parser))
+ (advance parser)
  {:type :block :data data :token origin})
 
 ### TODO: decide whether this design works
@@ -943,7 +941,7 @@
   :pkg-name (pkg-name parser)
   :recur (recur parser)
   :panic (panicc parser)
-  (panic parser (string expect "expected simple expression, got " (type curr)))
+  (panic parser (string "expected simple expression, got " (type curr)))
  )
 )
 
@@ -1017,6 +1015,7 @@
   :number (num parser)
   :keyword (kw parser)
   :string (str parser)
+  :interpolated (interpolated parser)
   :lparen (tup parser)
   :lbracket (list parser)
   :startdict (dict parser)
@@ -1060,6 +1059,12 @@
   (capture terminator parser))
  {:type :script :data lines :token origin})
 
+(defn parse [scanned]
+  (def parser (new-parser scanned))
+  (def ast (script parser))
+  (set (parser :ast) ast)
+  parser)
+
 (defn- indent-by [n]
  (def indentation @"")
  (repeat n (buffer/push indentation ".."))
@@ -1081,12 +1086,13 @@
 (do
 #(comment
 (def source `
-panic! foo
+"foo {bar} baz"
 `)
 (def scanned (s/scan source))
-(def a-parser (new-parser scanned))
 (print "\n***NEW PARSE***\n")
-(def parsed (toplevel a-parser))
+(def a-parser (new-parser scanned))
+(def parsed (script a-parser))
+
 # (print (pp-ast parsed))
 (pp parsed)
 )