Moon Unit Zappa Talks Earth to Moon and More

Los Angeles, get ready! Moon Unit Zappa and her new memoir Earth to Moon are coming to the Beverly Hills Library for the first stop on her book tour.

The announced book tour so far includes:
8/22-Beverly Hills Library, Los Angeles, CA
8/23-Zibby's Bookstore, Santa Monica, CA
9/5-WORD Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY
9/7-House of Books, Kent, CT
10/13-Golden Notebook, Woodstock, NY
10/27-LI Cinema Arts Theater, Huntington, NY
11/23-Miami Book Fair, Miami, FL
Check MoonUnit.com for updates.

I interviewed Zappa a couple weeks ago and couldn't wait to share it with everyone. Having read an advance copy of Earth to Moon, I also couldn't wait to review it. (Spoiler alert: I LOVED it!) First, allow me a little bit of background.

Growing up, I was a big fan of musician Frank Zappa. Although I knew he had children, his daughter Moon Unit really came on my radar when she performed with her dad on the hit song “Valley Girl.” Since then, she has continued dabbling in music while establishing herself as an actress, writer, author and tea merchant.

In 2001, Zappa wrote her debut novel, America the Beautiful. Zappa took a broken-heart story and turned it into a funny, poignant, realistic read. I couldn't ask for more from a novel.

From a technical standpoint, Zappa was very polished, without falling into formulaic story-telling. I couldn't put it down, breezing through it in one setting. I couldn't wait to get to finish it, yet I hated finishing it. I was so impressed and eagerly looked forward to her next book.

It took many years, but Zappa is back with Earth to Moon. While a memoir, not a novel, it has the same characteristics, as Zappa once again flexes her writing chops. A long-time fan of the Zappa family, I learned a lot. Zappa's writing style is engaging, whether light-hearted or totally serious.

While it had to be hard writing a memoir like this, Zappa did not hold back at all. Through the ups and downs, Zappa relays her pain, confusion, happiness, pride and all other emotions, as she led us through her amazing life.

Zappa also proves her versatility in her main passion as a tea merchant. Just hearing Zappa explain the process that goes into tea-making fascinated me. I could feel her love through her explanation. A recent convert to tea, I plan on working my way through her several varieties of Moon Unit Tea.

My interview with Zappa covered all those topics. This is destined to be one of my favorite interviews. She was so positive, open and engaging. When I told folks I interviewed Zappa, the main question was "How was she?" I instantly say, "She was delightful."