diff --git a/src/cljs/athens/devcards/blocks.cljs b/src/cljs/athens/devcards/blocks.cljs
index bb3e6434a1..ba2e79ef5f 100644
--- a/src/cljs/athens/devcards/blocks.cljs
+++ b/src/cljs/athens/devcards/blocks.cljs
@@ -334,37 +334,22 @@ no results for pull eid returns nil
 
 
 (defn toggle
-  [ident open]
-  (transact! db/dsdb [{:db/id ident :block/open (not open)}]))
+  [id open]
+  (dispatch [:transact-event [[:db/add id :block/open (not open)]]]))
 
 
 (defn on-key-down
   [e uid]
-  (let [key             (.. e -keyCode)
-        _val             (.. e -target -value)
-        _selection-start (.. e -target -selectionStart)
-        shift (.. e -shiftKey)]
-    ;;(prn "KEYDOWN" selection-start (subs val selection-start) key ident order KeyCodes.ENTER)
+  (let [key       (.. e -keyCode)
+        shift     (.. e -shiftKey)
+        val       (.. e -target -value)
+        sel-start (.. e -target -selectionStart)]
     (cond
-
       (and (= key KeyCodes.TAB) shift) (dispatch [:unindent uid])
       (= key KeyCodes.TAB) (dispatch [:indent uid])
+      (= key KeyCodes.ENTER) (dispatch [:enter uid val sel-start])
+      (and (= key KeyCodes.BACKSPACE) (zero? sel-start)) (dispatch [:backspace uid]))))
 
-      (= key KeyCodes.ENTER) (dispatch [:enter])
-      ;;(transact! db/dsdb
-      ;;  ;; FIXME original block doesn't update. textarea and `on-change` prevents update
-      ;;           [;;{:db/id ident
-      ;;   ;; :block/string (subs val 0 selection-start)}
-      ;;            {;; random-uuid generates length 36 id. Roam uids are 9
-      ;;             :block/uid       (subs (str (random-uuid)) 27)
-      ;;             :block/string    (subs val selection-start)
-      ;;    ;; FIXME makes current block the parent
-      ;;             :block/_children ident
-      ;;    ;; FIXME. order is dependent on parent
-      ;;             :block/order     (inc order)
-      ;;             :block/open      true}])
-
-      :else nil)))
 
 ;;; Devcards
 
diff --git a/src/cljs/athens/events.cljs b/src/cljs/athens/events.cljs
index 1d9cf244a8..6d63e46211 100644
--- a/src/cljs/athens/events.cljs
+++ b/src/cljs/athens/events.cljs
@@ -155,6 +155,74 @@
      [(dec ?o) ?new-o]]])
 
 
+(defn gen-block-uid
+  []
+  (subs (str (random-uuid)) 27))
+
+
+(reg-event-fx
+  :backspace
+  (fn [_ [_ _uid]]))
+
+
+;; TODO but how to set focus... especially async
+(defn split-block
+  [uid val sel-start]
+  (let [parent (get-parent [:block/uid uid])
+        block (get-block [:block/uid uid])
+        head (subs val 0 sel-start)
+        tail (subs val sel-start)
+        new-uid (gen-block-uid)
+        new-block {:db/id        -1
+                   :block/order  (inc (:block/order block))
+                   :block/uid    new-uid
+                   :block/open   true
+                   :block/string tail}
+        reindex (->> (d/q '[:find ?ch ?new-o
+                            :in $ % ?p ?at
+                            :where (inc-after ?p ?at ?ch ?new-o)]
+                       @db/dsdb rules (:db/id parent) (:block/order block))
+                  (map (fn [[id order]] {:db/id id :block/order order}))
+                  (concat [new-block]))]
+    {:transact [[:db/add (:db/id block) :block/string head]
+                {:db/id (:db/id parent)
+                 :block/children reindex}]
+     :dispatch [:editing-uid new-uid]}))
+
+
+(defn bump-up
+  [uid val sel-start]
+  (let [parent (get-parent [:block/uid uid])
+        block (get-block [:block/uid uid])
+        tail (subs val sel-start)
+        new-uid (gen-block-uid)
+        new-block {:db/id        -1
+                   :block/order  (:block/order block)
+                   :block/uid    new-uid
+                   :block/open   true
+                   :block/string tail}
+        reindex (->> (d/q '[:find ?ch ?new-o
+                            :in $ % ?p ?at
+                            :where (inc-after ?p ?at ?ch ?new-o)]
+                       @db/dsdb rules (:db/id parent) (inc (:block/order block)))
+                  (map (fn [[id order]] {:db/id id :block/order order}))
+                  (concat [new-block]))]
+    {:transact [[:db/add (:db/id block) :block/string ""]
+                {:db/id (:db/id parent) :block/children reindex}]
+     :dispatch [:editing-uid new-uid]}))
+
+
+;; TODO: if enter at end of block, if block open, insert new 0th child. otherwise, add sibling (default behavior right now)
+(reg-event-fx
+  :enter
+  (fn [_ [_ uid val sel-start]]
+    (cond
+      (not (zero? sel-start)) (split-block uid val sel-start)
+      (empty? val) {:dispatch [:unindent uid]}
+      (and (zero? sel-start) val) (bump-up uid val sel-start))))
+
+
+;; TODO: no-op when indenting as the right-most child
 (reg-event-fx
   :indent
   (fn [_ [_ uid]]
@@ -177,11 +245,7 @@
                   {:db/id (:db/id parent) :block/children reindex-blocks}]}))) ;; reindex parent
 
 
-;; if a block leaves, decrement after order
-;; if a block enters, increment after order
-
-;; reindex after order
-
+;; TODO: no-op when user tries to unindent to a child out of current context
 (reg-event-fx
   :unindent
   (fn [_ [_ uid]]
@@ -194,7 +258,7 @@
                                  @db/dsdb rules (:db/id grandpa) (:block/order parent))
                             (map (fn [[id order]] {:db/id id :block/order order}))
                             (concat [new-block]))]
-      (when grandpa ;; TODO: no-op when user tries to unindent to a child out of current context
+      (when (and parent grandpa)
         {:transact [[:db/retract (:db/id parent) :block/children [:block/uid uid]]
                     {:db/id (:db/id grandpa) :block/children reindex-grandpa}]}))))