diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 70e72c2..99d7722 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ include ${env_make}
 
 # build lists of content directories
 # TODO: do we need the quoted variables?
-curate ?= about stuff
-curate_dirs ::= $(addprefix ${CONTENT}/, ${curate})
+CURATE ?= about stuff
+curate_dirs ::= $(addprefix ${CONTENT}/, ${CURATE})
 #curate_quoted ::= $(shell echo ${curate} | sed -e "s/ /, /g")
 
-index ?= posts staff
-index_dirs ::= $(addprefix ${CONTENT}/, ${index})
+INDEX ?= posts staff
+index_dirs ::= $(addprefix ${CONTENT}/, ${INDEX})
 #index_quoted ::= $(shell echo ${index} | sed -e "s/ /, /g")
 
 # files that this file builds directly
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ build: ${site_index} #> Build the site (default)
 	@echo Built local site in this directory: ${STAGING}
 
 publish: #> Publish Gemini files to site
-	@# rsync options:
-	@#   verbose: show each operation
-	@#   links:   preserve symlinks
-	@#   times:   preserve modification times
-	@#   delete:  delete extraneous files, i.e., files on destination
-	@#   chmod:   set permsions
+	# rsync options:
+	#   verbose: show each operation
+	#   links:   preserve symlinks
+	#   times:   preserve modification times
+	#   delete:  delete extraneous files, i.e., files on destination
+	#   chmod:   set permsions
 	@echo Publishing in ${STAGING} to ${GEMINI_SITE}
 	@rsync \
 	  --verbose \
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ show: #> Display key variables
 	@echo "Build message: ${BUILD_DATE_MSG}"
 	@${MAKE} -f ${env_make}
 	@echo
-	@#${MAKE} -f ${curate.mk} show
+	@${MAKE} -f ${curate_make} show
 	@echo
 	@#${MAKE} -f ${index_make} show
 	@#echo
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ ${curate_dirs}: %: ${WORKING} ${STAGING}
 	@echo "Entering section: $@"
 	@echo
 	@mkdir -p ${WORKING}/$@ ${STAGING}/$@
-	@cd $@ && ${MAKE} -f ${CURATE_MAKE} build
+	@#cd $@ && ${MAKE} -f ${CURATE_MAKE} build
+	@${MAKE} -C $@ -f ${CURATE_MAKE} build
 	@echo "✓ Completed $@ section"
 
 ${index_dirs}: %: ${WORKING} ${STAGING}
diff --git a/curate.mk b/curate.mk
index 676f0b7..3b54af3 100644
--- a/curate.mk
+++ b/curate.mk
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ build: ${gemtext_copied} ${templates_expanded}
 	@echo "✓ Completed processing ${section}"
 	@echo
 
-
 show: #> Show enironment variables with values
 	@echo "Key variables defined in ${self}:"
 	@echo