I would suggest starting with compojure-api (via its leiningen template) on the backend and Reagent on the front-end. Super simple if you're familiar with buil

I would suggest starting with compojure-api (via its leiningen template) on the backend and Reagent on the front-end. Super simple if you're familiar with building API driven SPAs and in particular React apps. compojure-api will get you going, and you can sort of back in to a fuller understanding of compojure and ring, which I agree is a bit confusing -- hard to know which of the zillion ring plugins to use, and where.