Remove directory creation as a recipe

Using directory modification times is fraught with peril. Since all we
need is to ensure that the directory is there, call `mkdir -p` prior to
writing a file.

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
@@ -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
@@ -132,35 +132,29 @@ help: #> Display this help message
 #
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 
-# Isolating the directory making logic here so that we are not repeatedly
-# building directories and changing timestamps--let's have Make deal with this
-${WORKING} ${STAGING}: %:
-	@mkdir -p $@
-	@echo "\t✓Created $@"
-
-${banner}: ${banner_template} ${WORKING}
+${banner}: ${banner_template}
+	@mkdir -p ${WORKING}
 	@m4 --include=${MAKO_DIR} $< > $@
 	@echo "\t✓ Generated site banner"
 
 ${site_index}: ${site_index_template} ${banner} ${curate_dirs} ${index_dirs}
+	@mkdir -p ${STAGING}
 	@m4 --include=${MAKO_DIR} --define=WORKING=${WORKING} $< > $@
 	@echo ${BUILD_DATE_MSG} >> $@
 	@echo "\t✓ Generated site index file"
 
-${curate_dirs}: %: ${WORKING} ${STAGING}
+${curate_dirs}: %:
 	@echo
 	@echo "Entering section: $@"
 	@echo
-	@mkdir -p ${WORKING}/$@ ${STAGING}/$@
-	@cd $@ && ${MAKE} -f ${CURATE_MAKE} build
+	@${MAKE} -C $@ -f ${CURATE_MAKE} build
 	@echo "✓ Completed $@ section"
 
-${index_dirs}: %: ${WORKING} ${STAGING}
+${index_dirs}: %:
 	@echo
 	@echo "Entering section: $@"
 	@echo
-	@mkdir -p ${WORKING}/$@ ${STAGING}/$@
-	@#cd ${CONTENT}/$@ && ${MAKE} -f ${index_make} build
+	@cd ${CONTENT}/$@ && ${MAKE} -f ${index_make} build
 	@echo "✓ Completed $@ section"
 
 #-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-#

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