#69 Facts About Me

I saw this trending on Twitter so I thought I’d give it a go here.

1. I have one sibling; a brother called Paul.

2. I am from Leitrim originally, a town called Mohill.

3. I am the eldest of all the cousins on both sides of the family.

4. I cannot drive.

5. I can touch-type (learned in Transition Year).

6. My first published story was called ‘White Fox’.

7. I crack my knuckles.

8. I was once on RTE’s answer to Blue Peter, Echo Island. I was on the Hot Seat Quiz where I answered questions on the Meryl Streep film, The River Wild.

9. My father is an undertaker, as his father was before him.

10. I almost appeared in Katherine Lynch’s second series as an extra with my mum. But she laughed so we were cut.

11. Last year I had a 36-38 inch waist. Now I have a 32 inch waist.

12. I studied film in IADT, Dun Laoghaire

13. Before that I studied graphic design for a year in LYIT, Letterkenny

14. And before that I studied Art & Design in CCFS, Cavan

15. I barely studied for the Leaving Cert. And it showed

16. I know I did well in Art and English in the Leaving Cert; the only subjects I really cared about. I did well in others, too, but can’t remember the actual grades.

17. I have a tick where if I’m walking somewhere, I’ll click my ankles as I walk. I have to do it.

18. The biggest award I ever won for writing was the Pot Noodle Radio Ad Award while in school. I wrote an ad that was produced by Shannonside Radio for Pot Noodle. It was basically an episode of Jerry Springer with vegetables.

19. The Golden Noodle Award is still gathering dust on my bedroom shelf

20. My birthday is January 20th 1983.

21. I didn’t bother having a big 21st birthday party.

22. The biggest award I ever won for film was the Darklight Dialogue & Democracy Award.

23. I was born on a Thursday.

24. When I was one, I had an operation on my right hip.

25. As a result of the operation, my hip can get very stiff once or twice a year. This usually happens if there’s been some atmospheric pressure change.

26. My first part-time job was in a garage forecourt. I lasted one day.

27. My second part-time job was in a fruit and veg shop. I lasted one year.

28. My third part-time job was in a toy shop. I lasted 5 years.

29. My fourth part-time job was in a tie shop. I lasted 5 months and quit when a new, evil manager was hired.

30. I spent one summer doing work experience in RTE where I wasn’t allowed to touch anything.

31. I have helped my dad with his job once or twice, lifting coffins or corpses. Corpses don’t feel like people.

32. I have two piercings, one in my right ear cartilage and one in my left ear lobe. I stretched the ear lobe one last year.

33. I have three tattoos. One on my wrist of a skull, one on my ankle of my eye and one on my right arm of the Kurt Vonnegut quote ‘So It Goes’. UPDATE: I now have 4 tattoos. The fourth one is a line of books flying up my arm.

34. After college I got a job as an electronics sales assistance.

35. Within the same company, I soon got promoted to graphic designer. I stayed in this role for almost 2 years.

36. I can quote almost all of Ghostbusters.

37. I can also quote a lot of Samuel L Jacksons lines from Jackie Brown.

38. Unlike most people, Jackie Brown is my favourite Tarantino film.

39. I have shown my films in Kerry, Cork and Galway film festivals.

40. I wear glasses.

41. Once, while in Cork, I was running across the road and fell flat on my face thanks to some new, still Converse. I looked like I’d been beaten up and had to get stitches.

42. One summer I inter-railed around Europe with two friends for a month.

43. Countries I have visitied: England, France, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Belgium, Czech Republic, America. I will soon be adding Scotland to this list.

44. On our last day of inter-railing, we spent it wandering around Brussels. It is not worth visiting. Especially on a Sunday. Don’t go.

45. My favourite city while inter-railing was Krakow. My least favourite was Budapest. Budapest is full of chain fast food restaurants. Prague is also very touristy and you can experience it all in a couple of days.

46. I like learning new computer programs and have taught myself HTML coding, flash and After Effects.

47. I have recently started to be more interested in theatre.

48. I started reading comics after I left school.

49. My favourite stand-alone graphic novel is Watchmen by Alan Moore. I didn’t like the film.

50. My favourite graphic novel series is Sandman by Neil Gaiman.

51. My favourite writer is Kurt Vonnegut. He just always speaks to me.

52. I hate getting my hair cut.

53. I like to watch whole TV series in one go over a few days, rather than over a few weeks.

54. My favourite TV drama of all time? The Sopranos.

55. My favourite TV comedy of all time? The Office. Both UK and US versions.

56. I don’t have a favourite film. It’s too hard to choose. But if someone asks I’ll usually tell them either Dr Strangelove or Magnolia.

57. As a child, I believed that there had been a sequel to ET where the alien returned to earth and visited a Sesame Street-esqe area of New York. I only realised years later that this was a dream I’d had.

58. Growing up, I read a lot of horror, particularly the Point Horror series of books.

59. With 10 facts left, I’m seriously considering making some up. I don’t think I will.

60. I am terrible for coming up with characters names, especially secondary characters. So I often use the names of friends and family. The Arthur Quinn series is full of such names.

61. I like listening to podcasts.

62. My favourite podcast of all time was the Russell Brand Radio Show before it got pulled off the air thanks to Jonathan Ross.

63. The podcast I regularly listen to is the Scott Mills Daily.

64. I don’t like listening to film review podcasts, or to read reviews; I prefer to just see the film for myself.

65. When the last Harry Potter book was released, I went to the midnight opening in Easons of Nassau Street. I rarely queue for things but when I do I want it to be for something special.

66. I’m lying in bed typing this and need to get up soon for breakfast.

67. I can never pick a favourite band or artist. It’s not because I have so many but rather because I like types of music more than bands.

68. Saying that, the greatest gig I ever saw was the first night of Arcade Fire in the Olympia. No one – not even themselves in the O2 – can come close.

69. I did not lie once during these facts.

8 Responses to “#69 Facts About Me”

  1. Claire says:

    Eiw! You crack your knuckles?? The whole way through your book I’ll be thinking, ‘He cracks his knuckles….’

    • Marianne says:

      I crack my knuckles. There isn’t really anything gross about it, it’s just addicting and helps when your fingers feel stiff. (Well, it is the cause for stiff fingers, but it really is addicting!!))

  2. Frogs says:

    Cool! Just started reading (listening) to your books!

  3. Marianne says:

    You have a tattoo of an eye on your ankle?! Just like Count Olaf in the Series of Unfortunate Events (my favourite series =D).

  4. Kacper says:

    I’ve be reading your book for past a month and it’s outstanding! I wish they could make a movie out of it

  5. arthur quinn says:

    Alan , How did you come to choose the name Arthur Quinn in your books ?

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