Restrung, Matt Fogelson
Restrung, Matt Fogelson
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Restrung
Fatherhood in a Different Key

Author: Matt Fogelson

Narrator: Matt Fogelson, Ethan Lupoff

Unabridged: 8 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/03/2026

Synopsis

Weaving the author’s coming of age in 1980s New York with his life as a father today, this Nick Hornby–meets–Cheryl Strayed debut memoir examines father-son relationships, the pain of early parent loss, and the importance of embracing your passions.For nearly fifteen years, Matt Fogelson didn’t recognize how deeply the early death of his workaholic father had affected him. Then he had a son of his own and the floodgates opened, helping him realize that even deeper than the wound left by his father’s death were the wounds inflicted by his absence while alive.Restrung follows Fogelson from his beginnings as a music-loving kid combing through vinyl in Greenwich Village, through his struggles to overcome his grief during young adulthood, and into becoming a man who is startled by the reemergence of his long-suppressed passion for music after becoming a father. Told with humor, grief, and hope, it’s the story of a passionate music lover’s effort to break free of the real and imagined constraints standing between him and his best life—an effort that ultimately allows Fogelson’s son to know his father in a way Fogelson never knew his.Funny and deeply honest, Restrung is a balm for every father and son fortunate enough to still have each other in their lives. It will inspire listeners to try to cross the emotional gulf that seems almost endemic to the father-son relationship and finally break through to one another.

About Matt Fogelson

Matt Fogelson is a writer and former lawyer whose true passion is music, primarily of the classic rock variety. His Substack, Fine Tuning, blends personal storytelling with a love for the music that makes sense of life, centering on new artists and the intersection of music and parenting. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scary Mommy, and NPR. Matt resides in Oakland, California.

About Ethan Lupoff

Ethan Lupoff is proud to have been born and raised in Oakland, CA. He is currently located in Los Angeles where he is studying acting at UCLA. Recent credits include Hamlet and Sunday in the Park with George.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Susan (The Book Bag) on February 03, 2026

Matt Fogelson documents the importance of music that he has felt his whole life in this interesting memoir. As he becomes a new father, he thinks back to the ways that music has influenced his thinking and feelings for as far back as he can remember. Growing up loving music, concerts, and playing re......more

Goodreads review by Books_et_bouquins on February 16, 2026

3.8 ⭐️ I rarely read memoirs but this one caught my attention as it revolves around the special bond between a son and his father… It’s a memoir about fatherhood, loss, grief and healing… and the power of music 🙌🏻 The author talks about his childhood with an “absent” father, always consumed by work,......more

Goodreads review by Whatithinkaboutthisbook on January 31, 2026

Restrung: Fatherhood in a Different Key by Matt Fogelson A life told through songs - a soundtrack to childhood, loss and becoming a parent. Fogelson intricately weaves stories of his upbringing, his complicated relationship with his father, his own journey into fatherhood and the central role of musi......more

Goodreads review by Amanda’s on February 09, 2026

An incredible story of grief, growing up, and finding yourself all strung together through a passion for music. Matt reflects on his childhood with a workaholic father and how that affected how he navigated adulthood after his father passed away. While I am fortunate to have had an involved and pres......more

Goodreads review by Danawoliver on February 06, 2026

I’ll start by saying that I am an avid reader, and I love memoirs. This one may be the best one I’ve ever read. Its themes are relatable—abandonment, belonging, acceptance, loss, inadequacy—and dealt with in such a thought-provoking way, I found myself thinking about my own life. Layered on top of t......more

Quotes

“A memoir of growing up, loss, and the expressive power of rock music…Readers, especially Gen Xers who turn to music for connection and expression, will savor this book.” Kirkus Reviews

“Rich in heart and musical soul, Restrung is a moving call to reimagine fatherhood in a new key—one that sings instead of stifles. A joy to read, the viscerality of music in Fogelson’s life is a compass we can all use for navigation.” Holly Gleason,  #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor

“A compelling memoir of a young urban music fan diving headlong into the passion and pathos of rock ‘n’ roll.” Jim White, Pushcart Prize–winner and musician

“ Written with emotional exactitude and soulful narrative precision, Restrung is a deeply affecting, cross-generational book about fatherhood and loss, but it’s also about how music is the connective tissue that binds us all together…An engaging memoir about fathers, sons and how the things we never say are louder than the things we hear, this is powerful and unreasonably brilliant work.” Alex Green, host of Stereo Embers the Podcast

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