Abby Foster, Writer

The Post seems like a straightforward movie. It recounts a time in US history when a whistleblower bordered on treason to expose government secrets about an unpopular war. I saw right through the facade. What I saw was a movie about historical events, that had significant relevance for the present time. When Liz Hannah and Josh Singer wrote the screenplay focusing on the role of Washington Post Matriarch Katherine Graham, I don't know if they had in mind the recent power surge by women. But the story of Katherine Graham and the role of the press, and the cover-up by the government all captured the current zeitgeist. On the surface, The Post is about freedom of the press. Beneath the surface, The Post reminds us that our government can be mired in subterfuge, that people in power can have questionable motives based on greed and ego, and most poignantly it shows how a woman found her voice.  Succinctly and eloquently put by a woman who herself was behind the scenes tending to t

In the court of public opinion, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. I am reminded of this adage as the annual Hollywood award season is now underway. Critics harp that these awards are nothing more than self-aggrandizing by an already spoiled Hollywood community. Yet, this year, when multi-award winning actress Meryl Streep gave a thank you speech for her Cecil B DeMille award at the Golden Globes, she put the spotlight on someone other than herself, yet still received criticism. Well, I applaud her. As befitting someone in a free society, she used the podium she was given to say what was on her mind. While I am not a decorated artist of any sort, I feel compelled to do the same. I have the capacity, the platform and the freedom to speak my mind. So I will use those privileges. I agree with Ms. Streep's comments, I believe "violence does incite violence" and we should all work to stem violence to create the world that many of us would like to live in.

It is a gorgeous fall day outside. The sun-drenched trees are showing the slightest sign that those leaves are ready to turn from green to vibrant shades of yellow, red and orange. Meanwhile, I am stuck inside. Stuck behind an old wooden desk, on top of which sits a - possibly - even older computer. I would rather be out in the world. Today is one of those days when I wish I were a full-time writer. Instead of sitting here in this ergonomically incorrect chair, behind this hard, cold wooden desk in this former dorm room, turned office, I wish I were sitting in my own leather desk chair typing on my laptop. Or maybe I would be in a cafe somewhere. I could be at a park reading a book that informs and inspires my current writing project. Then I would go home, get comfortable and write for three hours straight. This freedom of being a full-time writer would allow me to create. No other obligations to distract me. No meetings to attend. No last minute changes to my To Do list. Instead,

I haven't written a blog for a few weeks. I have been a bit preoccupied. Here a few things that are taking up most of my time. Bent, Not Broken A screenplay that follows three women as they navigate the end of relationships. Clara Diaz begins her post-college "adult" life with enthusiasm, and why not? She has everything, a great first job, a boyfriend away at law school. Her life is full of promise. Until her roommate moves out to live with a guy she barely knows, and her boyfriend doesn't seem to have any time for her. Is it really law school he is preoccupied with? Lisa Simmons realizes her long distance relationship has run its course and puts it to bed. So now what? She has been at her current job over five years, the longest she has stayed in one place in her adult life. Is it time to move on? Does the end of a relationship always have to mean reinventing your life? Sloan Heidelberg has recently reconnected with a former crush and things are going well. Until

Growing up in Nebraska, I learned about football early in life. Nebraska Cornhusker football is an honored tradition. It is a community builder in a state that outsiders often forgot about. It is a rallying point for everyone from Omaha to Scottsbluff. Even though I don't live in Nebraska anymore, I never miss a game. It just wouldn't seem right. In Nebraska, we have only one team. Our loyalty to the Huskers, as they are affectionately known, is solid. It doesn't matter if you were an alum of the University of Nebraska or if you never went to college anywhere. If you grew up in Nebraska, the Huskers are your team, you are a part of Husker Nation. Occasionally outsiders will ask "What is a Husker?" We don't really know, but we do know what it means to be a part of Husker Nation. It makes strangers, become like family. People simply ask, "Did you catch the game?" or they'd proudly say, "I got tickets to the game Saturday." Everyone knew

I was sad to learn that the powers that be over at Comedy Central cancelled The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. And not only because I enjoyed the show. I will go out on a limb here and shamelessly admit that at some point over the two-year run of the Nightly Show, I developed a huge crush on the host. Smart and funny are always sexy to me, but when you throw in a Social Conscious, well then, I turn to butter. So, yes, I miss Larry. It has been a week, and already I miss gazing nightly into his friendly eyes through my television screen and his thick black glasses.  I miss his laugh - that infectious little chuckle. And, in all seriousness, I miss the message of the show. I'm not the only one missing out here. America just lost an important voice in our conversation about social justice. Obviously, Larry and his Nightly panel gave voice to black Americans. But they didn't stop there. Larry and his crew spoke up for Latino/as, for the LGBTQ community, for the poor and for w