Overtakelessness: Poems

by Daniel Moysaenko

Winner of the Academy of American Poets First Book Award, selected by Alberto Ríos

Overtakelessness is a powerful reckoning with war, its ruinous proximity to daily existence and the dissonance of experiencing it from afar. These poems trace the long history and the present circumstance of the ongoing and devastating war in Ukraine, a country whose origins far predate Russia’s, despite Moscow’s propagandist claims. Through the lens of the Ukrainian diaspora witnessing the current violence from America, Daniel Moysaenko attempts to square a centuries-old motherland with a newly aggrieved contemporary nation. A third country emerges in these one that, though spectral, exists in a perpetual future, “astounded at what’s left of living.”

In spare lyrics, prose poems, and ravaged blocks of text, Overtakelessness becomes a book of gaps that haunt the spaces between ancient folktales, lost Soviet records, relatives’ failing memories, nationalist misinformation, and the rhythms of Ukrainian speech. Many of these poems are collages mediated by technology, the news coverage of bombings, the photos of soldiers shared on social media, the time delays of Zooming with family—the war experienced firsthand and by smartphone, “its screen a reflective blank, a sky populated by ghosts.” These gaps and rifts argue, finally, that what cannot be held cannot be seized.

Overtakelessness is a moving and extraordinary debut collection.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This powerful collection of poems are about the war in Ukraine and how the author, and everyone really, watches helplessly from afar and how the war is eroding Ukraine's memories of it's past and it's people. While dark, the poems aren't all doom and gloom, they do also address how the losses of this war have not stolen the people's resolve or hope but has, rather, strengthened it. The structure of the poems are also unique at times some written in paragraph form and others using lots of white space.

[Sharon Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overtakelessness is more than a poetry collection; it is an extraordinary act of witness. Daniel Moysaenko masterfully bridges the immense distance between the Ukrainian diaspora and the visceral reality of war, creating a work that is both deeply personal and historically resonant. The poems are fragmented and beautiful, capturing the dissonance of experiencing trauma through screens and memory. Moysaenko’s ability to find profound lyricism in the gaps of history and modern technology is truly captivating. This book is a powerful, thought-provoking, and essential read that will linger in your mind long after you turn the final page. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of identity, memory, and resilience.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this remarkable debut collection, the poet paints vivid pictures of the destruction of Ukraine by the Russians and the despair of Ukrainians in diaspora. “Dear Grade School Pen Pal, That I Have Barely Lived” is a one-two punch of guilt and regret.

Favorite Poems:
“Dried Flowers”
“What You’re Looking for Does Not Exist”
“Dead Grade School Pen Pal, That I Have Barely Lived”
“Catalogue Raisonee (Vol. 1)”
“Island”

[Naomi Ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning poems. It's amazing to watch what Moysaenko does with the line.

[Angry.Sad.Motivated · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting form pieces in here.

[Rachael Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of poetry you have to read several times over. It's such a rich text about coping with circumstances no one should have to live. Much of it is winding and meandering and even disjointed and I think this is a way even the art of language can visualize the way ongoing trauma feels. The poetry itself is inspiring and moving and doesn't leave you with a sense of overtakelessness.