The Biographers International Organization (BIO), of which Dr. Christian has been a member since 2022, featured the release of It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy in its February newsletter.

With a worldwide membership of biographers, BIO aims to promote the art and craft of biography, cultivate a diverse community of biographers, encourage public interest in biography, and provide educational and fellowship opportunities that support the work of biographers worldwide.

Dr. Christian's first biography, Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built, was published in 2018. It was based upon her doctoral research and institutional knowledge as a former longtime EBONY/JET editor at Johnson Publishing Company, founded by Mr. Johnson.

It's No Wonder is available to order everywhere books are sold. 
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Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected] ​

Count it as a blessing if you have just one person who believes in you.
 
Rev. Jesse Jackson and I shared that much in common, because John H. Johnson, the pioneering publisher and founder of Johnson Publishing Company (JPC), which included EBONY and JET magazines, believed in us both.  

When I wrote the 2018 book, Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built, it was a no brainer to ask Rev. Jackson to do the foreword. Of course, he agreed without hesitation. Rev. Jackson made time to reflect about his mentor and father figure, Mr. Johnson, the publishing magnate he lovingly called his “godfather.”

It was through the pages of JET and EBONY that Mr. Johnson helped to propel Rev. Jackson into a household name. One of his first being an August 1968 cover of JET. As a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, I teased Rev. Jackson that they were the “alpha and the omega,” because Mr. Johnson was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity while Rev. Jackson was a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Rev. Jackson always pumped his fists while chanting, “Keep hope alive.” And, he’d often throw up those hooks to represent his fraternity. 

The last time I spoke with Rev. Jackson was seven years ago. The man known for his powerful voice and determination to fight for justice, a towering figure who stood at 6’3”, was in a position unfamiliar to him. He was struggling. “This is kicking my ass,” Rev. Jackson quietly told me about his neurodegenerative condition as we sat in the lobby of his Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Those words stayed with me as I watched him deal with his failing health in the public’s eye as a global leader.

At every turn, he tried his damndest to remain a beacon of light and a voice for the voiceless as his own was being silenced. No longer could he pump his fist or even throw up his hooks. He didn’t look well and it showed on his face, yet he kept moving in front of the cameras anyway. 
 
I had to really gather myself. This is a tough one.  Thank you for supporting me and all of my work. It meant the world to me. And though you couldn't tell me, your spirit allowed me to know that you were cheering me on with my latest book, It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy. We both knew what Berry Gordy was to the music world and Motown, Mr. Johnson was to the publishing world with EBONY and JET. 

"Maybe [Mr. Johnson] couldn't envision going from print to digital but he would have made the adjustment," you told me during our October 6, 2018 interview in your office at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition for the Foreword of my book, Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built. "He would have held on to JET and EBONY in the ninety-ninth hour. The fact is some magazines are still standing. I was convinced that if anything could stand, it would be EBONY and JET. But this is no reflection upon his legacy."

Rev. Jackson, words can't express enough how much you did for me, being one of my biggest supporters, the earthly bridge and constant reminder of Mr. Johnson. I smile thinking about our private conversations about the golden days of Johnson Publishing Company. Know that I will carry those memories in my heart as we laughed and shed a tear, mourning the loss of that magnificent Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built. But, we both knew that nothing or no person lasts forever. We are all here temporarily, just passing through this thing called life. "Electric word life" is what Prince called it. 

You never expected to live beyond the age of 40 years old, because you thought you'd leave this world tragically like those who came before you.  God had other plans. You left a trail of glory in your 84 years before taking your last breath on February 17, 2026.

Rest well, Rev. Jackson. You more than earned it. March through those Pearly Gates into the kingdom of Heaven and hug Mr. Johnson for me. 

And this is love!

Chicagoans showed up and showed out for the book talk and signing of It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, a historical corrective about Hitsville U.S.A.'s first certified female songwriter and producer. 

The lively and inspirational event, which sold out of books, took place at Da Book Joint at Pen & Paper on February 14 from noon to 2 p.m. 

​Dr. Christian was in conversation with Katara Washington Patton, a celebrated author and executive editor of Our Daily Bread who was also her former JET magazine colleague. In addition to some of Dr. Christian's former EBONY and JET colleagues, a few of her students from the University of Illinois Chicago were in attendance. 

It's No Wonder is available to order everywhere books are sold. 
​
Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected] 

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Billboard magazine features an article about It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy. The biography, a historical corrective, was nationally released on Tuesday, February 10. 

Known as a cultural scoreboard, Billboard is one of the most influential music and entertainment magazines in the world. It's best known for charts like the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200.

It's No Wonder is available to order everywhere books are sold. 
​
Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

February 10 was the big publication day for It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy. Praise for the biography, a historical corrective which encompassed part investigative journalism and scholarly research, is unanimous. Here's what some are saying about the trailblazing quiet force, who broke barriers at Hitsville U.S.A. during its heyday. 

Veteran Houston Press writer Bob Ruggiero penned an article about the just-released biography, It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, describing Moy as "a real wonder woman" and as someone "who gets her flowers" in the historical corrective.

It's No Wonder is available everywhere books are sold. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected] 

It's finally here! Today, Tuesday, February 10, signals the publication day for It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy.

All Sylvia ever wanted was to have her voice heard. She's taking center stage now. Shine, Sylvia! Shine!

​Learn more about her in this National Geographic article, released on this auspicious day. 

​It's No Wonder is available everywhere books are sold. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected] 

Check out the video on FOX 32. It begins below on the YouTube video at 20:54.

The Detroit Free Press featured a story by Brian McCollum about late Detroit native Sylvia Moy, the pioneering Motown songwriter and producer whose untold story is documented in the soon-to-be released biography titled It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy. An excerpt from the historical corrective is also included in the newspaper, which positioned the article on the front page of its Entertainment + Life section.

McCollum's article along with the excerpt not only ran in the Detroit Free Press and USA Today, but it is also featured in the Des Moines Register, Blue Water Healthy Living, Bengals Wire, Sports Book Wire, Commanders Wire, Titans Wire and UCLA Wire.   

It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected] 

International Musician, the Official Journal of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, recognizes It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy as an important resource for its members.

In the February 2026, Vol. 124, Issue 2, on page 14, the mention points out how "Moy famously advanced Local 5 (Detroit, MI) member Stevie Wonder's career."  

For more than a century, members of the American Federation of Musicians have enjoyed access to International Musician, one of the most important sources of information affecting their livelihoods. Published monthly and distributed to more than 80,000 union members, International Musician provides vital news of legislation affecting musicians, audition notices, industry news, features about activism and labor organizing campaigns, and spotlights featuring the activities of their colleagues.

​It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

Gary Graff of MediaNews Group wrote about Sylvia Moy, the pioneering Motown songwriter and producer whose untold story is documented in the soon-to-be released biography titled It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy. 

This same article not only ran in the Morning Sun, but it was also featured in the Oakland Press, the Macomb Daily, the Sentinel & Enterprise, The Press Democrat, the Morning Call and the News-Herald.   

It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

Black History Month turns 100 and Kirkus Reviews commemorates it by highlighting books that introduce overlooked American history.

It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy is among a few of the books featured. Kirkus describes the biography as an "uplifting" discovery and "a heart-tugging tale of brilliance finally rewarded."

​It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

In its second post of the New Year, Adam White's West Grand Blog 01/16/26 recognizes the soon-to-be released biography about Sylvia Moy, one of Motown's least known, yet most accomplished songwriters and producers, whom White profiled on the blog shortly before her death in 2017. 

The historical corrective, It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, has already earned a starred Booklist review and praise in publications ranging from Kirkus Reviews to Ms. magazine.  Canada's The Globe and Mail listed it as one of eleven music books to watch in 2026. 

White is a Motown historian and longtime music industry writer whose West Grand Blog is a platform where he shares articles, provides updates and offers insights on Motown history, music releases, tributes to its stars and related topics. West Grand Blog has gained significant popularity, with more than 98,000 unique visitors since its debut in February 2017, making it a notable resource for fans and enthusiasts of Motown music. 

A former editor in chief, international editor and managing editor of Billboard, White has authored several books, including a Grammy-nominated album retrospective, The Motown Story: The First Twenty-Five Years, narrated by Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie. 

It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy is featured in The Globe and Mail's roundup of "Eleven books about music to watch for in 2026."  

The Globe and Mail offers the most authoritative news in Canada, featuring national and international news.  

It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

The Chicago Review of Books listed Chicago authors with books for release in 2026. Dr. Christian and her current project, the biography It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, was featured in the online edition on January 7, 2026. 

The historical corrective is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Chicago Review of Books is a publication of StoryStudio Chicago dedicated to making the literary conversation more inclusive by covering diverse genres, presses, voices, and mediums; shining a light on Chicago’s literary scene; and serving as a forum for literature in the Midwest.

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

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It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy has earned a stamp of approval from Ms. magazine! 

​The celebrated biography about Hitsville U.S.A.'s first woman to earn a multi-hyphenate in the role as both songwriter and producer in the Sixties while working simultaneously, consistently, and consecutively alongside all men is listed among The Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2026. 

When Ms. was launched as a “one-shot” sample insert in New York magazine in December 1971, few realized it would become the landmark institution in both women’s rights and American journalism that it is today. The founders of Ms., many of whom are now household names, helped to shape contemporary feminism, with Ms. editors and authors translating “a movement into a magazine.”

Ms. was the first U.S. magazine to feature prominent American women demanding the repeal of laws that criminalized abortion, the first to explain and advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, to rate presidential candidates on women’s issues, to put domestic violence and sexual harassment on its cover, to commission and feature a national study on date rape and to blow the whistle on the undue influence of advertising on magazine journalism. In short, Ms. was the first national magazine to make feminist voices audible, feminist journalism tenable and a feminist worldview available to the public.

Read the complete list and learn about others who made the list. 

It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

Library Journal is a long‑running American trade publication for librarians. Founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey (yes, the Dewey Decimal System Dewey), it is one of the most influential professional magazines in the library world.​

It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

Booklist is the official book review magazine of the American Library Association. 

For over 100 years Booklist magazine has helped tens of thousands of librarians as a book review source, and readers’ advisory, collection development, and professional development resource. It delivers 8,000+ recommended-only reviews of books, audiobooks, and reference sources each year, spanning every age and genre.

​It's No Wonder is available for preorder and released everywhere on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. 

Media contact
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

The official release date for It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy is Tuesday, February 10, 2026, but current preorders are already creating their own buzz! The biography about the female music pioneer is not only new, but it is newsworthy and noteworthy.

With a frequently updated sales status on Amazon, so far It's No Wonder has earned "#1 New Release" mentions in multiple categories such as the following: R&B and Soul, Music Reference, Soul Music, History of Race and Ethnicity, and Audible Audiobook.

If nothing else, the top distinctions clearly indicate the book's high visibility, signaling that it's trending and performing well on the world's largest online retailer. Early praise along with editorial reviews about the historical corrective have also been impressive, including one from Kirkus Reviews. 

Da Capo is an imprint of Grand Central, which is a Division of the Hachette Book Group.

Media contact for It's No Wonder 
Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director
Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo
​[email protected]

I'm wishing each of you a happy, healthy, safe, prosperous and blessed New Year! Keep the faith and trust the process.  #OnwardUpward 

When it comes to delivering book reviews, nobody serves them better than one of the most respected voices in publishing, Kirkus. Long known for brutal honesty with eagle-eyed, razor sharp reviewers, authors know that a single word or an entire sentence has the power to make or break someone’s career. That’s because in the literary world, Kirkus is synonymous with being authoritarian as it relates to publishers, librarians, booksellers, and, oh, serious readers.

So receiving a mention and a favorable exploration are more than just a pat on the back by the esteemed American book review magazine. Let’s be clear that it has been hard earned. It’s no wonder (no pun intended) that Dr. Christian’s book, It’s No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown’s Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, received both in recognizing her ability to bring Moy’s quiet genius to life! Not bad for her first major review with the book and her first Kirkus recognition.

Kirkus acknowledges the forthcoming biography and the way it reclaims a pivotal figure in music and in Motown history whose contributions were long overshadowed. “A pioneering musician rescued from obscurity” is how Kirkus declares it. 

The online review was released Friday, August 29, and the printed version will be published in the October magazine.  

Dr. Christian’s distinctive background as a seasoned professional journalist and academic scholar positions her to conduct research through an intersectional lens at the crossroads of media, education, popular culture, and historical inquiry. Her aim has been to do restorative work through education where she strives to address erasure when dominant narratives overlook marginalized, underrepresented female and minority voices in media and in entertainment.

It’s No Wonder, which serves as more than a biography but also as a historical corrective, challenges through an immersive and culturally anchored approach who controls the narrative and determines how history is shaped when her story is excluded.

February 10, 2026, is the official release date, but preorders are available now.

For more information, contact the following: Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director of Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo, at [email protected]







 

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It's here! Dr. Margena A. Christian's much-anticipated biography about Sylvia Moy, the unassuming musical giant who penned classic Motown tunes for Stevie Wonder such as "Uptight" and "My Cheri Amour" as the label's first certified female in-house songwriter and producer, will be released on February 10, 2026. 

Imagine a world without the music of Stevie Wonder. A world without hits like “I Was Made to Love Her” and “Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day.” That’s the world we would live in had it not been for Sylvia Moy, a woman whose legacy has been carefully tucked away within the annals of music history—until now.
 
It’s No Wonder examines the groundbreaking career of the pioneer who battled sexism and broke down barriers to become Motown’s first certified female in-house songwriter and producer. As the lone woman in a room full of men, the odds were stacked against Moy from the start. Amidst racial strife at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, most African American women who were allowed into the music industry could only dream of a career as a singer. Nevertheless, the Detroit native found unprecedented success as both a songwriter and producer. In addition to single-handedly saving Stevie Wonder’s early career at Motown, Moy solidified herself as one of the label’s most prolific composers, penning many of Wonder’s classic hits as well as songs for other Motown acts like “Honey Chile,” “It Takes Two,” “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You),” “My Baby Loves Me,” “(We’ve Got) Honey Love,” “Forget Me Not,” “With a Child’s Heart,” and countless others.

Meticulously researched and fiercely feminist, It’s No Wonder is a historical corrective that restores Sylvia Moy to her rightful place at the forefront of music history.

Publisher: Da Capo
Page Count: 304

Media contact: Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director of Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo, [email protected]

Dr. Christian was among nine honorees presented with the 2023 Rhomania Torch Award during the Rhomania, Sigma Explosion Festival & Torch Awards. The event, which took place at Visions Entertainment in Chicago, IL, on Saturday, June 3, was sponsored by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.'s Delta Sigma Alumnae Chapter.

She is proud legacy in the sorority and has been a member since December 16, 2001. Dr. Christian is related to late St. Louis educator, Dr. Pearl Schwartz White, a charter and founding member of St. Louis' Zeta Sigma graduate chapter, who also authored the sorority's first official history book, Behind These Doors: A Legacy--The History of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority (1974).