diff --git a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/elisp.clj b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/elisp.clj
index 7673307..2b7e672 100644
--- a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/elisp.clj
+++ b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/elisp.clj
@@ -98,16 +98,19 @@
                           (apply merge))
       _ nil)))
 
-(defn read-string [s])
+(defn read-string [s]
+  (match (-> s read first)
+    [:string x & props] x
+    :else nil))
+
+(defn print [x]
+  ;; TODO: this is really not how it should be done lol. at the
+  ;; moment, `print` is only used in `net.deertopia.publisher.roam`
+  ;; and only to serialise uuids, so it's not a /massive/ priority.
+  (cond (string? x) (str \" s \")))
 
 (comment
   (do (ip/defparser parse* (io/resource "elisp-grammar"))
-      (parse "#(\"blah\" 0 1 (doge))")
+      (read "#(\"blah\" 0 1 (doge))")
+      (read "\"bla\\nh\"")
       (read-alist "((x . y))")))
-
-(defn print-elisp-string [s]
-  (str \" s \"))
-
-(defn read-elisp-string [s]
-  (let [[_ in] (re-matches #"\"(.*)\"" s)]
-    in))
diff --git a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj
index 607b77e..2ce8805 100644
--- a/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj
+++ b/publisher/src/net/deertopia/publisher/roam.clj
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
   (-> node :id slug/from-uuid))
 
 (defn- print-id [node]
-  (-> node id print-elisp-string))
+  (-> node id print))
 
 
 ;;; Node
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@
      (when-some [r (sql/execute-one!
                        ds
                        ["select file from nodes where id = ?"
-                        (elisp/print-elisp-string (:id node))])]
-       (-> r :nodes/file elisp/read-elisp-string)))))
+                        (elisp/print (:id node))])]
+       (-> r :nodes/file elisp/read-string)))))
 
 (defprotocol GetNode
   (get-node [this]
@@ -66,13 +66,18 @@
   String
   (get-node [this]
     (or (some-> this slug/from-string get-node)
-        (some-> this parse-uuid get-node)))
+        (some-> this parse-uuid get-node)
+        (throw (IllegalArgumentException.
+                "Give `get-node` a UUID or slug string plz. }:)"))))
   java.util.UUID
   (get-node [this]
     (make-node this))
   net.deertopia.publisher.slug.Slug
   (get-node [this]
-    (-> this slug/to-uuid make-node)))
+    (-> this slug/to-uuid make-node))
+  Node
+  (get-node [this]
+    this))
 
 (comment
   (def node (get-node "68XqhHerTWCbE--RYLEdHw"))
@@ -80,7 +85,7 @@
    node :title
    #(do (println "fetch")
         (sql/execute-one! ds ["select title from nodes where id = ?"
-                              (elisp/print-elisp-string (:id %))]))))
+                              (elisp/print (:id %))]))))
 
 
 ;;; Node operations
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@
          ds ["select file from nodes where id = ?"
              (print-id %)])
         :nodes/file
-        elisp/read-elisp-string)))
+        elisp/read-string)))
 
 (defn properties [node]
   (fetch-with-cache
@@ -129,17 +134,17 @@
                            inner join nodes
                            on nodes.id = links.source
                            where links.dest = ?"
-                          (elisp/print-elisp-string (:id node))])
-        :let [id (elisp/read-elisp-string id)]
+                          (elisp/print (:id node))])
+        :let [id (elisp/read-string id)]
         :when (graph-visible? (get-node (UUID/fromString id)))]
     {:id id
-     :title (elisp/read-elisp-string title)}))
+     :title (elisp/read-string title)}))
 
 
 ;;; Graph support
 
 (defn- read-string-field [n field]
-  (-> n (get field) elisp/read-elisp-string))
+  (-> n (get field) elisp/read-string))
 
 (defn- uuid-graph-visible? [uuid]
   (-> uuid parse-uuid get-node graph-visible?))
@@ -160,7 +165,7 @@
      :links (for [l links
                   :let [source (read-string-field l :nodes/source)
                         target (read-string-field l :nodes/target)]
-                  :when (and (-> source uuid-graph-visible?)
-                             (-> target uuid-graph-visible?))]
+                  :when (and (uuid-graph-visible? source)
+                             (uuid-graph-visible? target))]
               {:source source
                :target target})}))