diff --git a/quad/quads-typed.rkt b/quad/quads-typed.rkt
index 20478005..be37654e 100644
--- a/quad/quads-typed.rkt
+++ b/quad/quads-typed.rkt
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@
        [else #f])]
     [else #f]))
 
+(: quad-append (Quad QuadListItem . -> . Quad))
+(define (quad-append q new-item)
+  (quad (quad-name q) (quad-attrs q) (append (quad-list q) (list new-item))))
+
+
 
 (provide gather-common-attrs)
 (: gather-common-attrs ((Listof Quad) . -> . (U False (Listof QuadAttrPair))))
diff --git a/quad/tests-typed.rkt b/quad/tests-typed.rkt
index 3eedec1f..eebced5f 100644
--- a/quad/tests-typed.rkt
+++ b/quad/tests-typed.rkt
@@ -58,3 +58,15 @@
 (check-true (quad-ends-with? (box #f (box #f "foo")) "o"))
 (check-true (quad-ends-with? (box #f (box #f (box #f (box #f (box #f "foo-"))))) "-"))
 
+(check-equal? (quad-append (box #f "foo") "bar") (box #f "foo" "bar"))
+(check-equal? (quad-append (box #f "foo") (box #f "bar")) (box #f "foo" (box #f "bar")))
+
+(check-equal? (quad-last-char (box #f (box #f "foo") "food")) "d")
+(check-equal? (quad-last-char (box #f (box #f "foo"))) "o")
+(check-equal? (quad-last-char (box #f "foo")) "o")
+(check-false (quad-last-char (box)))
+
+(check-equal? (quad-first-char (box #f (box #f "foo") "bar")) "f")
+(check-equal? (quad-first-char (box #f (box #f "foo") "bar")) "f")
+(check-equal? (quad-first-char (box #f "foo")) "f")
+(check-false (quad-first-char (box)))
diff --git a/quad/utils-typed.rkt b/quad/utils-typed.rkt
index 8dbf271a..d56badb3 100644
--- a/quad/utils-typed.rkt
+++ b/quad/utils-typed.rkt
@@ -148,4 +148,29 @@
 (: quad-attr-remove* (Quad QuadAttrKey * . -> . Quad))
 (define (quad-attr-remove* q . ks)
   (for/fold ([current-q q])([k (in-list ks)])
-    (quad-attr-remove current-q k)))
\ No newline at end of file
+    (quad-attr-remove current-q k)))
+
+
+;; the last char of a quad
+(provide quad-last-char)
+(: quad-last-char (Quad . -> . (Option String)))
+(define (quad-last-char q)
+  (define split-qs (split-quad q)) ; split makes it simple, but is it too expensive?
+  (if (or (empty? split-qs) (empty? (quad-list (last split-qs))))
+      #f
+      (let ([result((inst car QuadListItem QuadListItem) (quad-list (last split-qs)))])
+        (if (quad? result)
+            (error 'quad-last-char "last element is not a string: ~v" result)
+            result))))
+
+;; the first char of a quad
+(provide quad-first-char)
+(: quad-first-char (Quad . -> . (Option String)))
+(define (quad-first-char q)
+  (define split-qs (split-quad q)) ; explosion makes it simple, but is it too expensive?
+  (if (or (empty? split-qs) (empty? (quad-list (first split-qs))))
+      #f
+      (let ([result((inst car QuadListItem QuadListItem) (quad-list (first split-qs)))])
+        (if (quad? result)
+            (error 'quad-first-char "first element is not a string: ~v" result)
+            result))))
\ No newline at end of file