Fifty-Five Ways to Survive: Poems for Strength

＂＂I spent twelve years feeling suicidal but I overcame the depression...I want to give people energy to go forward, regardless of what’s thrown at them,＂ says Laurier Tiernan. Fifty-Five Ways to Survive is a poignant collection of poetry and artwork chronicling their journey from profound despair to self-awareness and spiritual connection. Laurier Tiernan shares the experience of life as a hereditary psychic medium, seeing beyond, while grounded in human limitations. These graphic poems in both English and French explore resilience, the soul’s endless evolution, and the quiet strength it takes to survive.

Laurier Tiernan is a multifaceted queer artist who divides their time between Tokyo, Japan, and Edmonton, Alberta. Laurier’s writing has appeared in major publications across three continents, and as a voice-over artist, their work is featured in numerous TV commercials and three regular programs on NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster. A musician as well, Laurier’s songs have been broadcast by over 100 radio stations worldwide. Their handwritten poems were featured in ＂Living While Marginalized＂, an exhibition of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists hosted by the Penticton Art Gallery in British Columbia. In the same year, Laurier made their major film debut in the TOHO film ＂Yokai Daisenso: Guardians＂ as Dracula. Currently, they host Tiernan depuis Tokyo on CKRP, a French-language community radio station in Alberta.