diff --git a/helix-core/src/state.rs b/helix-core/src/state.rs
index 05380d5ee..8ebf3887a 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/state.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/state.rs
@@ -117,6 +117,12 @@ impl State {
         Selection::new(ranges.collect(), sel.primary_index)
         // TODO: update selection in state via transaction
     }
+
+    pub fn file(&self) -> &Rope {
+        // used to access file contents for rendering to screen
+        let copy = &self.doc.contents;
+        copy
+    }
 }
 
 /// Coordinates are a 0-indexed line and column pair.
diff --git a/helix-term/src/editor.rs b/helix-term/src/editor.rs
index 1007dc36d..3df84d6e5 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/editor.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ use crossterm::{
     cursor,
     cursor::position,
     event::{self, read, Event, EventStream, KeyCode, KeyEvent},
-    execute, queue, style,
+    execute, queue,
+    style::Print,
     terminal::{self, disable_raw_mode, enable_raw_mode},
 };
 use futures::{future::FutureExt, select, StreamExt};
@@ -39,6 +40,10 @@ impl Editor {
 
     fn render(&self) {
         // TODO:
+        match &self.state {
+            Some(s) => execute!(stdout(), cursor::MoveTo(0, 0), Print(s.file())).unwrap(),
+            None => (),
+        }
     }
 
     pub async fn print_events(&mut self) {
diff --git a/helix-term/test.txt b/helix-term/test.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1802a7474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helix-term/test.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+aaa
+bbb
+ccc