Debbie Laskey's Blog: FALL BACK TO READING SERIES 2026 featuring Jen Carroll

Following in the footsteps of eight previous series where thought leaders responded to questions on my blog over the last several years to discuss leadership, marketing, reading, and the Olympics, I'm thrilled to announce that it's time for my 9th series!

During the Fall season (each Monday from September 28th through December 20th), I'm welcoming a dozen thought leaders to share their insights about reading, books, personal branding, and leadership. Today, Jen Carroll is my featured expert. I met Jen through my participation in the "Leaders Who Fiction" virtual book club in November 2023. Jen is the Co-founder of The Dames Marketing & PR firm in Canton, Ohio, and amplifies what a business is already doing well and opens new pathways to desired audiences. Her core areas of expertise include: customer-centric brand voice and positioning; integrated marketing communications strategy; media and influencer outreach; sales enablement materials that convert; and content strategy optimized for human audiences and AI. Jen's other hat, as she explains, "is as the founder and member of the same book club for 20+ years, an avid hiker, and passionate homecook...and always eager to discuss women's issues, the impact of AI on our society, or the merits of a great historical novel."

Before we begin, I'd like to share my two favorite reading quotes to set the stage:

"If you give a person a book, you give him the world." ~New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel (from her work of historical fiction, "The Paris Daughter")

"For you unlock magic that is hidden within, and opening the cover is how you begin. Oh, all the worlds and the places you'll see; when you hold a book, you hold the key." ~Caroline Derlatka

And now, let's begin.

QUESTION: What was the last book (fiction or non-fiction) you read? What stood out as memorable, and would you recommend it?

JEN CARROLL: At the beginning of August, I finished listening to "A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy" by Sue Klebold. Without really intending to, I borrowed Klebold's audiobook, which had been on my TBR list for years, right after reading "Original Sin: On the Genetics of Vice, the Problem of Blame, and the Future of Forgiveness." All I can say is: wow, what a one-two punch these two books pack. Together, they were a hard check on my socially constructed understanding of crime and punishment so common among Americans, even non-religious ones: there are good people and bad people; crime reveals which one you are and what kind of parents you had.

Both books made me question why we automatically favor character judgment over the fact that we are all shaped by our circumstances. I did not come away thinking people shouldn't be held responsible for their actions, but I do believe accountability for crime without curiosity or compassion for criminals has helped us approve of and sustain America's punitive and often cruel prison system. We extend that same lack of curiosity to the people who raised them; families go on serving an unofficial sentence of suspicion and blame long after their child is gone or behind bars.

QUESTION: Which book (fiction or non-fiction) is on the top of your to-be-read pile (or first in your digital reader), and why?

JEN CARROLL: I recently added "Empire Falls" by Richard Russo to my TBR list after reading the Atlantic article, "Richard Russo's Small-town America: Bad Luck, Bad Choices," by Mark Oppenheimer. I'm originally from Youngstown, Ohio, a city that's literally synonymous with bad luck and bad choices (and lots of mafia crime!), and I spent my adolescence in Salem, a small Ohio town. Drawn to the article by its title, I was intrigued by Oppenheimer's review of Russo's backstory and career, which often centers on the struggles of working-class men and women. The article mentioned "Empire Falls" as Russo's most famous work, a winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

QUESTION: With all the streaming services available, many works of fiction are now adapted into films or TV series. During the last year, have you watched a film or TV show and been impressed and/or inspired by the adaptation? (If you haven't watched any adaptations, are you looking forward to any currently in the planning or production phases?)

JEN CARROLL: Over the past year, I finally got around to watching "Dune" and "Oppenheimer" but had not read either book. After watching "Dune," I did start Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic, but time and attention did not allow me to get past the first few chapters. I also went to the theater to see "Project Hail Mary," a book I sheepishly admit to quitting about halfway through because I honestly did not care for Weir's writing style, which I found simplistic, repetitive, and somewhat predictable. It's the total opposite of Herbert's dense, heavily-detailed approach. Can I just get something more balanced? Haha!

That said, I found all three movies fascinating with grand narratives that seemed ideal for film. Normally, I love a book and feel supremely disappointed in its film adaptation, but perhaps there's something to watching a story without knowledge of the literature (for me, at least).

QUESTION: If you're a fan of the TED LASSO series on Apple TV, have you watched the new season (that returned on August 5th)? If yes, what stands out about Ted's leadership lessons or leadership style from the new season? Alternatively, if you're not a fan of the show or have not yet watched it, is there another CURRENT TV show that showcases inspiring leadership?

JEN CARROLL: I am a huge fan of Ted Lasso! The original screenwriting perfectly blends humor and nuanced, believable character development, and I've watched the three-season story arc twice. As of this writing, the first two episodes of season four have dropped, and I'm cautiously optimistic this new installment has the potential to be as good as the original storyline. Particularly in the second episode, Ted returns with his signature leadership style, combining curiosity, wisdom, kindness, and a truly charming (and disarming) type of goofiness. It's already beginning to break down the angry, closed-off assistant head coach Alice Chilton, of course. That said, I hope the screenwriters don't just rehash old plotlines. I'm looking forward to, I hope, some new take on Ted as a leader and a human being who's always learning.

QUESTION: Which author (either from history or currently writing) would you choose to have dinner with, and what would you discuss?

JEN CARROLL: Mary Oliver's poems and essays have left me with a sense of awe ever since I randomly pulled her "American Primitive" off a library shelf in early 1990's, looking for a program oral interpretation cutting to use in collegiate speech and debate competitions. (I eventually chose "The Kitten.") She observed nature at its best, worst, and most ordinary, and then described it beautifully, without singsong or sentimentality.

Oliver's personal history, teaching, disciplined approach to writing, and even the ungentle demeanor I've heard about make her an appealing person to have a conversation with. Perhaps she would dispel any illusions I have about aspiring to a poet's life while also confirming it was the only thing she ever wanted to do. Discussing a life of creative writing, including all the challenging things about it, would be so interesting to me.

Debbie Laskey's Blog

Monday, November 2, 2026

FALL BACK TO READING SERIES 2026 featuring Jen Carroll

SHARE THIS: Ted returns with his signature leadership style, combining curiosity, wisdom, kindness, and a truly charming (and disarming) type of goofiness. ~Jen Carroll #TedLassoSeason4 #FallBacktoReadingSeries2026 #ReadingInspires #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: If you give a person a book, you give him the world. ~@KristinHarmel #ReadingOpensMinds #FallBacktoReadingSeries2026 #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: A bibliophile is a lover of books, while a lectiophile is a lover of reading. The distinction is due to the object versus the activity. #FunFact #ReadingIsMySuperPower #FallBacktoReadingSeries2026 #DebbieLaskeysBlog

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