ugh.clj

(ns test)

(defn field [f fwd]
  (if (= :MAGIC f)
    (schema.core/maybe (schema.core/recursive (intern *ns* fwd)))
    f))

(defmacro clj-structs [name fields]
  (let [sym# (symbol name)
        fwd# (symbol (str "fwd-" name))]
    `(do
       (declare ~fwd#)
       (schema.core/defrecord ~sym#
           ~(vec (reduce concat (map (fn [[k v]] (list (symbol k) :- (field v fwd#))) fields))))
       (def ^:private ~fwd# ~sym#))))

(macroexpand '(clj-structs "Thing" {"id" schema.core/Int "other" :MAGIC}))

macroexpand with (intern...):

(do (clojure.core/declare fwd-Thing) 
  (schema.core/defrecord Thing [id :- schema.core/Int other :- (maybe (recursive (var test/fwd-Thing)))]) 
  (def fwd-Thing Thing))

error with `#'~f:

 java.lang.RuntimeException: Not an IDeref: (var fwd-Thing)

(that recursive function makes sure the argument implements IDeref)