Moon Unit Zappa just released her memoir Earth to Moon. After reading an advance copy before my interview with her, I couldn’t wait to share my excitement. (Spoiler alert: I LOVED it.)
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 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 so much. Zappa’s writing style is engaging, whether light-hearted or totally serious.
Writing a memoir like this must have been hard at times, but Zappa put it all out there. I felt her pain, confusion, happiness, pride and all other emotions, as she led us through her amazing life.
Zappa’s writing isn’t her only passion. In fact, as she states in our interview, tea is her biggest passion. She talked about her love of tea and her path to becoming a tea merchant. Just listening to her describe the process of tea-making was so fascinating. I could feel her love. As a recent convert to tea, I plan on trying 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.
With the release of Earth to Moon, Zappa will be doing a book tour. Stops include:
8/22-Beverly Hills Library, Los Angeles, CA
8/23-Zibby’s Bookstore, Santa Monica, CA
9/5-WORD Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY
10/13-Golden Notebook, Woodstock, NY
10/27-LI Cinema Arts Theater, Huntington, NY
11/23-Miami Book Fair, Miami, FL
Graphic courtesy of Moon Unit Zappa.
I really appreciate Moon Unit Zappa for her time and consideration. I found her totally delightful and this whole experience has been wonderful.
