diff --git a/hyphenate/hyphenate/us/exceptions.rkt b/hyphenate/hyphenate/us/exceptions.rkt
index d7b9c450..248917c0 100644
--- a/hyphenate/hyphenate/us/exceptions.rkt
+++ b/hyphenate/hyphenate/us/exceptions.rkt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ law-yer-ing
 law-yer-ly
 law-yered
 law-yers
+look-ahead
 oblig-a-tory
 oki-na
 oki-nas
diff --git a/quad/quadwriter/render.rkt b/quad/quadwriter/render.rkt
index 1946a2b4..97300a7b 100644
--- a/quad/quadwriter/render.rkt
+++ b/quad/quadwriter/render.rkt
@@ -339,7 +339,10 @@
       (setup-margins qs page-width page-height))
     (define gutter-margin (and (pair? qs) (quad-ref (car qs) :page-margin-gutter 0)))
     (define printable-width (- page-width left-margin right-margin gutter-margin))
-    (define printable-height (- page-height top-margin bottom-margin))
+    (unless (> printable-width 0)
+      (raise-user-error 'render "printable width greater than 0: got ~a" printable-height))    (define printable-height (- page-height top-margin bottom-margin))
+    (unless (> printable-height 0)
+      (raise-user-error 'render "printable height greater than 0: got ~a" printable-height))
     (define column-count (setup-column-count qs))
     (define column-gap (setup-column-gap qs))
     (define line-wrap-size (/ (- printable-width (* (sub1 column-count) column-gap)) column-count))
diff --git a/quad2/README.md b/quad2/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16a7611c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/quad2/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+### project status 220808
+
+Whereas `quad` compiles directly to PDF, `quad2` compiles to an intermediate drawing language, the output of which is passed to a renderer. 
+
+Toy text and bitmap renderers were made. They are not good for much.
+
+* The next goal is to stub out a PDF renderer ...
+
+* But first, it turns out that it would be useful to have a renderer that can show layouts in a quicker, more debuggable way. The best idea seems like making an HTML renderer, since it can demonstrate any PDF layout (plus the possibility of embedding debug information in page popups etc)
+
+* Once these two renderers are stubbed out, we can go back and start working on layout operations for text.