Writer-in-Residence: Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko, “Nothing is Under Control” (Book Launch)

What better way to celebrate a new year of life than with a new book and a new series? This year, City of Asylum honors its roots as a writer sanctuary with our new “Writer-in-Residence” series, spotlighting the talented artists we host in our residency and the incredible work they produce. The series begins with the distinct energy of celebration, on the birthday of Writer-in-Residence Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko, with the launch of his new novel Nothing is Under Control. 

A writer without a country. A city with no off switch. A memory that keeps looping back at the worst possible time. Nothing Is Under Control spans warzones, subway tunnels, half-remembered childhoods, and half-finished conversations, as the narrator searches for meaning—or at least something that feels like it.

Told in sharp, poetic fragments and moments of dark humor, this book is for anyone who’s ever felt lost in translation—between languages, places, or versions of themselves. Nothing Is Under Control is about exile, identity, and the absurd clarity that comes when everything falls apart.

City of Asylum’s early days began with a program much like this, during the residency of Horacio Castellanos-Moya from 2006 to 2011. When Horacio’s novel, Senselessness, was translated into English, City of Asylum hosted a book launch that was so popular, it lasted two nights. Sharing new work with the community, particularly the work of international artists, will always be one of our core values, and we can’t wait to continue that tradition with Nothing is Under Control.

Purchase a copy of Oleksandr’s book, Nothing is Under Control, at City of Asylum Bookstore.

About the Author:

Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko is a filmmaker, writer, and musician. His oeuvre includes films, music videos, commercials, a discography of over 50 albums, and a dozen books of poetry. This collection includes Oleksandr’s poetry volume FAQ Ukraine (2024) and the novel Nothing is Under Control (2025). In addition to his original works, Oleksandr published Ukrainian translations of Jim Morrison’s poetry (the first of their kind). He translated English poetry of the Restoration Period, including the works of John Rochester. His photographs, paintings, drawings, and sculptures have been featured in private collections across the globe, including exhibitions in Ukraine, Germany, Canada, and the US, among others. During the first year of the war in Ukraine, Oleksandr stayed in the country and became involved in a volunteer movement working with foreign journalists as a producer, filmmaker, and writer to spread the truth about the situation and the historical context. He has been in residence as part of City of Asylum’s Fellowship for Ukrainian Writers since 2023 with his wife, Mari Frazé-Frazénko, a gifted Ukrainian singer.

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant, Cucina Alfabeto, is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but a cash wine bar will be available.