diff --git a/dotscape b/dotscape
index 4d478fc..74d1b9b 100755
Binary files a/dotscape and b/dotscape differ
diff --git a/dotscape.mlb b/dotscape.mlb
index 6a4aca4..a21c328 100644
--- a/dotscape.mlb
+++ b/dotscape.mlb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ in
   functional-core/app/click-points.sml
   functional-core/app/graph-lines.sml
   functional-core/app/triangles.sml
+  fonts/cozette-ascii.mlb
 end
 
 functional-core/app/triangle-stage.sml
diff --git a/functional-core/app/app-type.sml b/functional-core/app/app-type.sml
index c19618f..22c692c 100644
--- a/functional-core/app/app-type.sml
+++ b/functional-core/app/app-type.sml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ signature APP_TYPE =
 sig
   datatype app_mode = NORMAL_MODE | BROWSE_MODE
 
-  datatype file_browser_item = FILE of string | FOLDER of string
+  datatype file_browser_item = IS_FILE of string | IS_FOLDER of string
 
   datatype triangle_stage =
     NO_TRIANGLE
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ structure AppType :> APP_TYPE =
 struct
   datatype app_mode = NORMAL_MODE | BROWSE_MODE
 
-  datatype file_browser_item = FILE of string | FOLDER of string
+  datatype file_browser_item = IS_FILE of string | IS_FOLDER of string
 
   type triangle =
     { x1: Real32.real
diff --git a/functional-core/app/app-update.sml b/functional-core/app/app-update.sml
index 707b6e8..7a17ac6 100644
--- a/functional-core/app/app-update.sml
+++ b/functional-core/app/app-update.sml
@@ -386,13 +386,59 @@ struct
       (model, fileMsg)
     end
 
-  fun handleFileBrowserAndPath (model, fileBrowser, path) =
+  fun handleFileBrowserAndPathInNormalMode (model, fileBrowser, path) =
     let val model = AppWith.fileBrowserAndPath (model, fileBrowser, path)
-    (* todo: update and recreate vector indicating text to redraw,
-     * if not in normal mode *)
     in (model, [])
     end
 
+  fun stringToVec (pos, str, acc, startX, startY, windowWidth, windowHeight) =
+    if pos = String.size str then
+      acc
+    else
+      let
+        val chr = String.sub (str, pos)
+        val chrFun = Vector.sub (CozetteAscii.asciiTable, Char.ord chr)
+        val chrVec = chrFun
+          (startX, startY, 25.0, 25.0, windowWidth, windowHeight, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0)
+        val acc = chrVec :: acc
+      in
+        stringToVec
+          (pos + 1, str, acc, startX + 13, startY, windowWidth, windowHeight)
+      end
+
+  fun buildFileBrowserText
+    (pos, fileBrowser, acc, startY, windowWidth, windowHeight) =
+    if pos = Vector.length fileBrowser then
+      Vector.concat acc
+    else
+      let
+        val item = Vector.sub (fileBrowser, pos)
+        val itemText =
+          case item of
+            IS_FILE str => str
+          | IS_FOLDER str => str
+        val acc = stringToVec
+          (0, itemText, acc, 10, startY, windowWidth, windowHeight)
+      in
+        buildFileBrowserText
+          (pos + 1, fileBrowser, acc, startY + 23, windowWidth, windowHeight)
+      end
+
+  fun handleFileBrowserAndPath (model, fileBrowser, path) =
+    let
+      val model = AppWith.fileBrowserAndPath (model, fileBrowser, path)
+
+      (* create vector indicating text to redraw *)
+      val {windowWidth, windowHeight, ...} = model
+      val ww = Real32.fromInt windowWidth
+      val wh = Real32.fromInt windowHeight
+      val textVec = buildFileBrowserText (0, fileBrowser, [], 10, ww, wh)
+
+      val drawMsg = DRAW_MODAL_TEXT textVec
+    in
+      (model, [DRAW drawMsg])
+    end
+
   fun updateNormalMode (model: app_type, inputMsg) =
     case inputMsg of
       MOUSE_MOVE {x = mouseX, y = mouseY} =>
diff --git a/imperative-shell/draw-thread.sml b/imperative-shell/draw-thread.sml
index 351c7b2..e6947bd 100644
--- a/imperative-shell/draw-thread.sml
+++ b/imperative-shell/draw-thread.sml
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ struct
             val _ =
               AppDraw.drawTriangles (triangleDrawObject, triangleDrawLength)
             val _ = AppDraw.drawDot (dotDrawObject, dotDrawLength)
-            val _ = AppDraw.drawModalText (modalTextDrawObject, modalTextDrawLength)
-            
+            val _ =
+              AppDraw.drawModalText (modalTextDrawObject, modalTextDrawLength)
+
             val _ = Glfw.swapBuffers window
             val _ = Glfw.pollEvents ()
           in
@@ -167,6 +168,24 @@ struct
                    , modalTextDrawObject
                    , modalTextDrawLength
                    )
+               end
+           | DRAW_MODAL_TEXT vec =>
+               let
+                 val _ = AppDraw.uploadModalText (modalTextDrawObject, vec)
+                 val modalTextDrawLength = Vector.length vec div 5
+               in
+                 run
+                   ( drawMailbox
+                   , window
+                   , graphDrawObject
+                   , drawGraphLength
+                   , dotDrawObject
+                   , dotDrawLength
+                   , triangleDrawObject
+                   , triangleDrawLength
+                   , modalTextDrawObject
+                   , modalTextDrawLength
+                   )
                end)
     else
       Glfw.terminate ()
diff --git a/imperative-shell/file-thread.sml b/imperative-shell/file-thread.sml
index 7dfe7d0..a5e4428 100644
--- a/imperative-shell/file-thread.sml
+++ b/imperative-shell/file-thread.sml
@@ -172,11 +172,11 @@ struct
     case OS.FileSys.readDir dir of
       SOME path =>
         if OS.FileSys.isDir path then
-          getDirList (dir, AppType.FOLDER path :: acc)
+          getDirList (dir, AppType.IS_FOLDER path :: acc)
         else if OS.FileSys.isLink path then
           getDirList (dir, acc)
         else
-          getDirList (dir, AppType.FILE path :: acc)
+          getDirList (dir, AppType.IS_FILE path :: acc)
     | NONE => let val acc = List.rev acc in Vector.fromList acc end
 
   fun loadFiles (path, inputMailbox) =
@@ -185,8 +185,9 @@ struct
       val dir = OS.FileSys.openDir path
       val dirList = getDirList (dir, [])
       val _ = OS.FileSys.closeDir dir
+      val inputMsg = FILE_BROWSER_AND_PATH {fileBrowser = dirList, path = path}
     in
-      ()
+      Mailbox.send (inputMailbox, inputMsg)
     end
 
   fun run (fileMailbox, inputMailbox) =
diff --git a/message-types/draw-msg.sml b/message-types/draw-msg.sml
index a7e9b96..40a9961 100644
--- a/message-types/draw-msg.sml
+++ b/message-types/draw-msg.sml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ sig
       , dots: Real32.real vector
       }
   | CLEAR_DOTS
+  | DRAW_MODAL_TEXT of Real32.real vector
 end
 
 structure DrawMessage :> DRAW_MESSAGE =
@@ -28,4 +29,5 @@ struct
       , dots: Real32.real vector
       }
   | CLEAR_DOTS
+  | DRAW_MODAL_TEXT of Real32.real vector
 end