diff --git a/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts b/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts
index 61885d9..a7bf069 100644
--- a/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/auth/actions.ts
@@ -6,28 +6,21 @@ import { loginSchema, LoginSchema } from 'app/login/schema';
 import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
 
 export async function getJWTSecretKey<Uint8Array>() {
-	console.log('getJWTSecretKey called!')
 	const secret = process.env.JWT_SECRET
-	console.log('secret: ' + secret)
 	if (!secret) throw new Error("There is no JWT secret key")
-	console.log('encoding...')
 	try {
 		const enc: Uint8Array = new TextEncoder().encode(secret)
-		console.log('enc')
 		return enc
 	} catch (error) {
-		console.error('aw shit: ' + error.message)
+		throw new Error("failed to getJWTSecretKey", error.message)
 	}
 }
 
 export async function verifyJwt(token: string): Promise<JWTPayload | null> {
-	console.log('verifyJwt called for token: ' + token)
-	const key = await getJWTSecretKey()
-	console.log('key: ' + key)
-	const { payload } = await jwtVerify(token, key)
-	console.log('payload: ' + payload)
-	return payload
 	try {
+		const key = await getJWTSecretKey()
+		const { payload } = await jwtVerify(token, key)
+		return payload
 	} catch {
 		return null
 	}
diff --git a/src/app/login/page.tsx b/src/app/login/page.tsx
index 80c4a70..93bf5d0 100644
--- a/src/app/login/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/login/page.tsx
@@ -9,22 +9,22 @@ import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { redirect } from "next/navigation";
 import { loginSchema } from "./schema";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
-
+import { useSearchParams } from "next/navigation";
+import revalidate from "./revalidate";
+import { useState } from "react";
+import Link from "next/link";
 
 export default function LoginForm() {
 	const router = useRouter()
+	const searchParams = useSearchParams()
+	const redirect = searchParams.get("from")
 	const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof loginSchema>>({
 		resolver: zodResolver(loginSchema),
 	})
+	const [submitted, setSubmitted] = useState(false)
 
-	const onSubmit = form.handleSubmit(async (data) => {
-		// const res = await login(data)
-		// if (res?.error) {
-		// 	toast({ title: "Whoops!", description: res.error })
-		// 	form.reset()
-		// } else {
-		// 	toast({ title: "login successful" })
-		// }
+	const onSubmit = form.handleSubmit(async (data, event) => {
+		event.preventDefault()
 		const res = await fetch('/api/auth/login', {
 			method: 'POST',
 			headers: {
@@ -34,7 +34,10 @@ export default function LoginForm() {
 		})
 		if (res.status === 200) {
 			toast({ title: "login successful!" })
-			router.push('/submission')
+			setSubmitted(true)
+			await revalidate(redirect)
+			router.refresh()
+			router.push(redirect)
 		} else {
 			toast({ title: "login failed!" })
 		}
@@ -42,37 +45,41 @@ export default function LoginForm() {
 
 
 	return (
-		<Form {...form}>
-			<form onSubmit={onSubmit}>
-				<FormField
-					control={form.control}
-					name="email"
-					render={({ field }) => (
-						<FormItem>
-							<FormLabel>Email Address</FormLabel>
-							<FormControl>
-								<Input placeholder="email goes here" {...field} />
-							</FormControl>
-							<FormMessage />
-						</FormItem>
-					)}
-				></FormField>
-				<FormField
-					control={form.control}
-					name="password"
-					render={({ field }) => (
-						<FormItem>
-							<FormLabel>Password</FormLabel>
-							<FormControl>
-								<Input placeholder="password goes here" type="password"{...field} />
-							</FormControl>
-							<FormMessage />
-						</FormItem>
-					)}
-				></FormField>
-				<Button type="submit">SUBMIT</Button>
-			</form>
-		</Form>
+		<>
+			{submitted ? <p>Logging in...</p> :
+				<Form {...form}>
+					<form onSubmit={onSubmit}>
+						<FormField
+							control={form.control}
+							name="email"
+							render={({ field }) => (
+								<FormItem>
+									<FormLabel>Email Address</FormLabel>
+									<FormControl>
+										<Input placeholder="email goes here" {...field} />
+									</FormControl>
+									<FormMessage />
+								</FormItem>
+							)}
+						></FormField>
+						<FormField
+							control={form.control}
+							name="password"
+							render={({ field }) => (
+								<FormItem>
+									<FormLabel>Password</FormLabel>
+									<FormControl>
+										<Input placeholder="password goes here" type="password"{...field} />
+									</FormControl>
+									<FormMessage />
+								</FormItem>
+							)}
+						></FormField>
+						<Button type="submit">SUBMIT</Button>
+					</form>
+				</Form>
+			}
+		</>
 
 	)
 }
diff --git a/src/app/login/revalidate.ts b/src/app/login/revalidate.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a9e8ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/login/revalidate.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+"use server"
+import { revalidatePath } from "next/cache"
+export default async function revalidate(path: string) {
+	try {
+		revalidatePath(path)
+		return true
+	} catch (error) {
+		console.error(error)
+		return false
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx b/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx
index 61e6938..3264547 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx
+++ b/src/app/ui/tables/inputs/genrePickerInput.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export default function GenrePickerInputCell(props: CellContext<any, any>) {
   const genres = props.table.options.meta.genres
   const [isActive, setIsActive] = useState(false)
 
-  async function onSubmit({ genres }: { genres: number[] }) {
+  async function onSubmit({ genres }: { genres: number[] }, event: Event) {
     event.preventDefault()
     const genresArray = genres.map((e) => { return { id: e } })
     console.log(`genres: ${genres}, genresArray: ${JSON.stringify(genresArray)}`)
diff --git a/src/middleware.ts b/src/middleware.ts
index db2b509..c736355 100644
--- a/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/src/middleware.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,13 @@ export default async function(request: NextRequest) {
 	// const url = `${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL}/login?redirect=${request.nextUrl.pathname + request.nextUrl.search}`
 	const url = request.nextUrl.clone()
 	url.pathname = "/login"
+	url.searchParams.set('from', request.nextUrl.pathname)
 	if (protectedRoutes.some(pattern => matchesWildcard(request.nextUrl.pathname, pattern))) {
 		const token = request.cookies.get('token')
 		//NOTE - may need to add logic to return 401 for api routes
 
 		if (!token) {
+			console.log("there is no jwt")
 			return NextResponse.redirect(url)
 		}
 
@@ -34,12 +36,14 @@ export default async function(request: NextRequest) {
 				request.cookies.delete('token')
 				return NextResponse.redirect(url)
 			}
-		} catch {
+		} catch (error) {
 			//delete token (failsafe)
+			console.error("failed to very jwt", error.message)
 			request.cookies.delete('token')
 			return NextResponse.redirect(url)
 		}
 
+		//TODO - TEST THIS BECAUSE IT PROBABLY DOESN'T WORK
 		//redirect from login if already logged in
 		let redirectToApp = false
 		if (request.nextUrl.pathname === "/login") {