diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/core.rkt b/quad/quadwriter/core.rkt
index 2bd6c96e..572f0ad8 100644
--- a/quad/quadwriter/core.rkt
+++ b/quad/quadwriter/core.rkt
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@
                                    (λ (q doc) (draw-debug q doc "#99f" "#ccf"))
                                    void)))
 
-(define-runtime-path default-font-face "fonts/charter.otf")
+(define-runtime-path quadwriter-fonts-dir "fonts")
+(define-runtime-path default-font-face "fonts/charter/charter.otf")
 (define default-font-family "charter")
 (define default-font-size 12)
 
@@ -514,13 +515,15 @@
   ;; though it also creates the potential for mischief,
   ;; if a font is named something that doesn't reflect its visual reality.
   ;; but we are not the font police.
-  (define-values (dir path _) (split-path base-path))
-  (define fonts-dir (build-path dir "fonts"))
-  (for* ([font-family-subdir (in-directory fonts-dir)]
+  (define-values (dir path _) (split-path #R base-path))
+  (define doc-fonts-dir (build-path #R dir "fonts"))
+  ;; run doc-fonts-dir first because earlier fonts take precedence
+  (for* ([fonts-dir (in-list (list quadwriter-fonts-dir doc-fonts-dir ))]
+         #:when (directory-exists? fonts-dir)
+         [font-family-subdir (in-directory fonts-dir)]
          #:when (directory-exists? font-family-subdir)
          [font-path (in-directory font-family-subdir)]
-         #:when (or (path-has-extension? font-path #"otf")
-                    (path-has-extension? font-path #"ttf")))
+         #:when (member (path-get-extension font-path) '(#".otf" #".ttf")))
     (match-define (list font-path-string family-name)
       (map (λ (x) (path->string (find-relative-path fonts-dir x))) (list font-path font-family-subdir)))
     (define key
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-bold-italic.otf b/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-bold-italic.otf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f9f56df8
Binary files /dev/null and b/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-bold-italic.otf differ
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-bold.otf b/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-bold.otf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2c9089db
Binary files /dev/null and b/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-bold.otf differ
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-italic.otf b/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-italic.otf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b0917e7
Binary files /dev/null and b/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter-italic.otf differ
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter.otf b/quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter.otf
similarity index 100%
rename from quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter.otf
rename to quad/quadwriter/fonts/charter/charter.otf
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/markdown.rkt b/quad/quadwriter/markdown.rkt
index 02d97faf..fb86317b 100644
--- a/quad/quadwriter/markdown.rkt
+++ b/quad/quadwriter/markdown.rkt
@@ -1,20 +1,14 @@
-#lang racket/base
+#lang debug racket/base
 (require (for-syntax racket/base)
          racket/list
-         racket/string
-         racket/dict
          racket/match
-         quad
-         pollen/tag
          quadwriter/core
-         txexpr)
+         "tags.rkt")
 (provide (except-out (all-defined-out) mb)
          (rename-out [mb #%module-begin])
          #%app #%datum #%top-interaction)
-(provide p id strong em attr-list h1 h2 h3 h4 h5 h6 
-         ol li ul rsquo lsquo rdquo ldquo hellip ndash mdash
-         hr
-         code pre a blockquote)
+(provide (all-from-out "tags.rkt")
+         rsquo rsquo lsquo ldquo hellip ndash mdash)
 
 (define rsquo "’")
 (define rdquo "”")
@@ -24,133 +18,31 @@
 (define ndash "–")
 (define mdash "—")
 
-(define (root attrs exprs)
-  (qexpr (append `(#;(first-line-indent "12")
-                   #;(line-align "center")
-                   (line-wrap "kp")
-                   (line-height "17")
-                   #;(line-align-last "center")) attrs) exprs))
-
-(define-tag-function (p attrs exprs)
-  ;; no font-family so that it adopts whatever the surrounding family is
-  (qexpr (append `((keep-first "2")(keep-last "3") (line-align "justify") (font-size-adjust "100%") (character-tracking "0") (hyphenate "true") (display ,(symbol->string (gensym)))) attrs) exprs))
-
-(define-tag-function (hr attrs exprs)
-  hrbr)
-
-(define-tag-function (blockquote attrs exprs)
-  (qexpr (append '((display "block") 
-                   (first-line-indent "0") 
-                   (background-color "#eee") 
-                   (font-family "fira") (font-size "10") (line-height "14")
-                   (border-width-top "0.5") (border-color-top "gray") (border-inset-top "8")
-                   (border-width-left "3") (border-color-left "gray") (border-inset-left "20")
-                   (border-width-bottom "0.5") (border-color-bottom "gray") (border-inset-bottom "-2")
-                   (border-width-right "0.5") (border-color-right "gray") (border-inset-right "20")
-                   (inset-top "10") (inset-bottom "8") (inset-left "30") (inset-right "30")
-                   (keep-lines "yes"))
-                 attrs) exprs))
-
-(define id (default-tag-function 'id))
-(define class (default-tag-function 'class))
-
-(define-tag-function (strong attrs exprs)
-  (qexpr (list* '(font-bold "true") '(font-size-adjust "100%") attrs) exprs))
-
-(define-tag-function (a attrs exprs)
-  (qexpr `((link ,(cadr (assoc 'href attrs)))(color "MediumVioletRed")) exprs))
-
-(define-tag-function (em attrs exprs)
-  (qexpr (list* '(font-italic "true") '(font-size-adjust "100%") attrs) exprs))
-
-(define-syntax-rule (attr-list . attrs) 'attrs)
-
-(define (heading-base font-size attrs exprs)
-  (qexpr (append `((font-family "fira-light") (first-line-indent "0") (display "block") (font-size ,(number->string font-size))(line-height ,(number->string (* 1.2 font-size))) (border-width-top "0.5")(border-inset-top "9") (inset-bottom "-3") (inset-top "6") (keep-with-next "true")) attrs) exprs))
-
-(define-tag-function (h1 attrs exprs)
-  (heading-base 20 (append '() attrs) exprs))
-
-(define-tag-function (h2 attrs exprs) (heading-base 16 attrs exprs))
-(define-tag-function (h3 attrs exprs) (heading-base 14 attrs exprs))
-
-(define h4 h3)
-(define h5 h3)
-(define h6 h3)
-
-(define-tag-function (code attrs exprs)
-  (qexpr (append '((font-family "fira-mono")#;(line-align "right")(font-size "10")(bg "aliceblue")) attrs) exprs))
-
-(define-tag-function (pre attrs exprs)
-  ;; pre needs to convert white space to equivalent layout elements
-  (define new-exprs (add-between
-                     (for*/list ([expr (in-list exprs)]
-                                 [str (in-list (string-split (string-join (get-elements expr) "") "\n"))])
-                       `(,(get-tag expr) ,(get-attrs expr) ,(string-replace str " " " ")))
-                     lbr))
-  (qexpr (list* '(display "block") '(background-color "aliceblue")
-                '(first-line-indent "0")
-                '(font-family "fira-mono") '(font-size "11") '(line-height "14")
-                '(border-inset-top "10")
-                '(border-width-left "2") '(border-color-left "#669") '(border-inset-left "0")
-                '(border-inset-bottom "-4")
-                '(inset-left "12")  '(inset-top "12") '(inset-bottom "8")
-                attrs) new-exprs))
-
-(define (list-base attrs exprs [bullet-val #f])
-  (define bullet-space-factor 2.5)
-  (define em (dict-ref attrs 'font-size default-font-size))
-  (define bullet-indent (* bullet-space-factor em))
-  (qexpr (list* `(inset-left ,(number->string bullet-indent)) attrs)
-         (add-between
-          (for/list ([(expr idx) (in-indexed exprs)])
-            (list* (get-tag expr) (cons (list 'list-index (or bullet-val (format "~a" (add1 idx)))) (get-attrs expr)) (get-elements expr)))
-          pbr)))
-
-(define-tag-function (ol attrs exprs) (list-base attrs exprs))
-(define-tag-function (ul attrs exprs) (list-base attrs exprs "•"))
-(define-tag-function (li attrs exprs) (qexpr attrs exprs))
-
-(define-syntax (mb stx)
-  (syntax-case stx ()
-    [(_ PDF-PATH . STRS)
-     #'(#%module-begin
-        ;; stick an nbsp in the strings so we have one printing char
-        (define strs (match (list . STRS)
-                       [(? null?) '(" ")]
-                       [strs strs]))
-        (define qx (root null (add-between strs (list pbr)
-                                           #:before-first (list pbr)
-                                           #:after-last (list pbr)
-                                           #:splice? #true)))
-        (run qx PDF-PATH))]))
+(define-syntax-rule (mb PDF-PATH . STRS)
+  (#%module-begin
+   ;; stick an nbsp in the strings so we have one printing char
+   (define strs (match (list . STRS)
+                  [(? null?) '(" ")]
+                  [strs strs]))
+   (define qx (root null (add-between strs (list pbr)
+                                      #:before-first (list pbr)
+                                      #:after-last (list pbr)
+                                      #:splice? #true)))
+   (run qx PDF-PATH)))
 
 (module reader racket/base
-  (require scribble/reader syntax/strip-context (only-in markdown parse-markdown)
-           racket/match txexpr)
-  (provide (rename-out [quad-read-syntax read-syntax]))
-
+  (require syntax/strip-context (only-in markdown parse-markdown) "reader-helper.rkt")
+  (provide (rename-out [rs read-syntax]))
  
-  (define (xexpr->parse-tree x)
-    ;; an ordinary txexpr can't serve as a parse tree because of the attrs list fails when passed to #%app.
-    ;; so stick an `attr-list` identifier on it which can hook into the expander.
-    ;; sort of SXML-ish.
-    (let loop ([x x])
-      (match x
-        [(txexpr tag attrs elems) (list* tag (cons 'attr-list attrs) (map loop elems))]
-        [(? list? xs) (map loop xs)]
-        [_ x])))
-  
-  (define (quad-read-syntax path-string p)
-    (define quad-at-reader (make-at-reader
-                            #:syntax? #t 
-                            #:inside? #t
-                            #:command-char #\◊))
+  (define (rs path-string p)
     (define stx (quad-at-reader path-string p))
-    (define parsed-stxs (datum->syntax stx (xexpr->parse-tree (parse-markdown (apply string-append (syntax->datum stx))))))
+    (define parsed-stxs
+      (datum->syntax stx
+                     (xexpr->parse-tree
+                      (parse-markdown (apply string-append (syntax->datum stx))))))
     (strip-context
      (with-syntax ([STXS parsed-stxs]
-                   [PDF-PATH (path-replace-extension path-string #".pdf")])
+                   [PDF-PATH (path-string->pdf-path path-string)])
        #'(module _ quadwriter/markdown
            PDF-PATH
            . STXS)))))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/markup.rkt b/quad/quadwriter/markup.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c217a2bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/quad/quadwriter/markup.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#lang debug racket/base
+(require (for-syntax racket/base)
+         racket/list
+         racket/match
+         quadwriter/core
+         "tags.rkt")
+(provide (except-out (all-defined-out) mb)
+         (rename-out [mb #%module-begin])
+         #%app #%datum #%top-interaction)
+(provide (all-from-out "tags.rkt")
+         rsquo rsquo lsquo ldquo hellip ndash mdash)
+
+(define rsquo "’")
+(define rdquo "”")
+(define lsquo "‘")
+(define ldquo "“")
+(define hellip "…")
+(define ndash "–")
+(define mdash "—")
+
+(define-syntax-rule (mb PDF-PATH . STRS)
+  (#%module-begin
+   ;; stick an nbsp in the strings so we have one printing char
+   (define strs (match (list . STRS)
+                  [(? null?) '(" ")]
+                  [strs strs]))
+   (define qx (root null (add-between strs (list pbr)
+                                      #:before-first (list pbr)
+                                      #:after-last (list pbr)
+                                      #:splice? #true)))
+   (run qx PDF-PATH)))
+
+(module reader racket/base
+  (require pollen/decode syntax/strip-context "reader-helper.rkt")
+  (provide (rename-out [rs read-syntax]))
+ 
+  (define (rs path-string p)
+    (define stx (quad-at-reader path-string p))
+    (define parsed-stxs
+      (datum->syntax stx
+                     (xexpr->parse-tree
+                      (decode-paragraphs (syntax->datum stx)))))
+    (strip-context
+     (with-syntax ([STXS parsed-stxs]
+                   [PDF-PATH (path-string->pdf-path path-string)])
+       #'(module _ quadwriter/markdown
+           PDF-PATH
+           . STXS)))))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/reader-helper.rkt b/quad/quadwriter/reader-helper.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..56ce2cdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/quad/quadwriter/reader-helper.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#lang debug racket/base
+(require racket/match
+         scribble/reader
+         txexpr)
+(provide (all-defined-out))
+
+(define (path-string->pdf-path path-string)
+  (match (format "~a" path-string)
+    ["unsaved-editor" (build-path (find-system-path 'desk-dir) "untitled.pdf")]
+    [_ (path-replace-extension path-string #".pdf")]))
+
+(define quad-at-reader (make-at-reader
+                        #:syntax? #t 
+                        #:inside? #t
+                        #:command-char #\◊))
+
+(define (xexpr->parse-tree x)
+  ;; an ordinary txexpr can't serve as a parse tree because of the attrs list fails when passed to #%app.
+  ;; so stick an `attr-list` identifier on it which can hook into the expander.
+  ;; sort of SXML-ish.
+  (let loop ([x x])
+    (match x
+      [(txexpr tag attrs elems) (list* tag (cons 'attr-list attrs) (map loop elems))]
+      [(? list? xs) (map loop xs)]
+      [_ x])))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/tags.rkt b/quad/quadwriter/tags.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..511168e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/quad/quadwriter/tags.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#lang racket/base
+(require quad/qexpr
+         pollen/tag
+         quadwriter/core
+         racket/string
+         racket/list
+         racket/dict
+         txexpr/base)
+(provide (all-defined-out))
+
+(define (root attrs exprs)
+  (qexpr (append `(#;(first-line-indent "12")
+                   #;(line-align "center")
+                   (line-wrap "kp")
+                   (line-height "17")
+                   #;(line-align-last "center")) attrs) exprs))
+
+(define-tag-function (p attrs exprs)
+  ;; no font-family so that it adopts whatever the surrounding family is
+  (qexpr (append `((keep-first "2")(keep-last "3") (line-align "justify") (font-size-adjust "100%") (character-tracking "0") (hyphenate "true") (display ,(symbol->string (gensym)))) attrs) exprs))
+
+(define-tag-function (hr attrs exprs)
+  hrbr)
+
+(define-tag-function (blockquote attrs exprs)
+  (qexpr (append '((display "block") 
+                   (first-line-indent "0") 
+                   (background-color "#eee") 
+                   (font-family "fira") (font-size "10") (line-height "14")
+                   (border-width-top "0.5") (border-color-top "gray") (border-inset-top "8")
+                   (border-width-left "3") (border-color-left "gray") (border-inset-left "20")
+                   (border-width-bottom "0.5") (border-color-bottom "gray") (border-inset-bottom "-2")
+                   (border-width-right "0.5") (border-color-right "gray") (border-inset-right "20")
+                   (inset-top "10") (inset-bottom "8") (inset-left "30") (inset-right "30")
+                   (keep-lines "yes"))
+                 attrs) exprs))
+
+(define id (default-tag-function 'id))
+(define class (default-tag-function 'class))
+
+(define-tag-function (strong attrs exprs)
+  (qexpr (list* '(font-bold "true") '(font-size-adjust "100%") attrs) exprs))
+
+(define-tag-function (a attrs exprs)
+  (qexpr `((link ,(cadr (assoc 'href attrs)))(color "MediumVioletRed")) exprs))
+
+(define-tag-function (em attrs exprs)
+  (qexpr (list* '(font-italic "true") '(font-size-adjust "100%") attrs) exprs))
+
+(define-syntax-rule (attr-list . attrs) 'attrs)
+
+(define (heading-base font-size attrs exprs)
+  (qexpr (append `((font-family "fira-light") (first-line-indent "0") (display "block") (font-size ,(number->string font-size))(line-height ,(number->string (* 1.2 font-size))) (border-width-top "0.5")(border-inset-top "9") (inset-bottom "-3") (inset-top "6") (keep-with-next "true")) attrs) exprs))
+
+(define-tag-function (h1 attrs exprs)
+  (heading-base 20 (append '() attrs) exprs))
+
+(define-tag-function (h2 attrs exprs) (heading-base 16 attrs exprs))
+(define-tag-function (h3 attrs exprs) (heading-base 14 attrs exprs))
+
+(define h4 h3)
+(define h5 h3)
+(define h6 h3)
+
+(define-tag-function (code attrs exprs)
+  (qexpr (append '((font-family "fira-mono")#;(line-align "right")(font-size "10")(bg "aliceblue")) attrs) exprs))
+
+(define-tag-function (pre attrs exprs)
+  ;; pre needs to convert white space to equivalent layout elements
+  (define new-exprs (add-between
+                     (for*/list ([expr (in-list exprs)]
+                                 [str (in-list (string-split (string-join (get-elements expr) "") "\n"))])
+                       `(,(get-tag expr) ,(get-attrs expr) ,(string-replace str " " " ")))
+                     lbr))
+  (qexpr (list* '(display "block") '(background-color "aliceblue")
+                '(first-line-indent "0")
+                '(font-family "fira-mono") '(font-size "11") '(line-height "14")
+                '(border-inset-top "10")
+                '(border-width-left "2") '(border-color-left "#669") '(border-inset-left "0")
+                '(border-inset-bottom "-4")
+                '(inset-left "12")  '(inset-top "12") '(inset-bottom "8")
+                attrs) new-exprs))
+
+(define (list-base attrs exprs [bullet-val #f])
+  (define bullet-space-factor 2.5)
+  (define em (dict-ref attrs 'font-size default-font-size))
+  (define bullet-indent (* bullet-space-factor em))
+  (qexpr (list* `(inset-left ,(number->string bullet-indent)) attrs)
+         (add-between
+          (for/list ([(expr idx) (in-indexed exprs)])
+            (list* (get-tag expr) (cons (list 'list-index (or bullet-val (format "~a" (add1 idx)))) (get-attrs expr)) (get-elements expr)))
+          pbr)))
+
+(define-tag-function (ol attrs exprs) (list-base attrs exprs))
+(define-tag-function (ul attrs exprs) (list-base attrs exprs "•"))
+(define-tag-function (li attrs exprs) (qexpr attrs exprs))
\ No newline at end of file