Comedian Mae Martin on the Knick-Knack Collection Taking Over Her House

Mae Martin is a stand-up comedian from Toronto who's been living in London, England for five years. She's appeared on TV and radio across Canada and the UK doing a charming, bizarre mix of blurted observations, parody songs, and erotic fan fiction about Hermione Granger. She's lovely and weird, and her favorite thing is, too.

BROADLY: Hi Mae! So what's your most complimented thing?
Mae Martin: Technically my most complimented trait is my hair, but I feel like that isn't a genuine compliment because it's always strangers who say it as a precursor to asking if I'm a boy or a girl. So it's more of an icebreaker. I also get compliments on my collection of "pieces," which is a kind of wooden display case in my room in which I display small objects like thimbles, marbles, and shells.

Can you tell me more about your collection? What kind of "pieces" are we talking about here?
My collection of pieces I've been slowly building on for the past few years and it's getting a bit out of control, but now people buy me and find me small pieces to add to it. It began when my dad started encouraging me to pick up and treasure things from the beach during family holidays. So I started with things I found in nature, and have now graduated to things like a miniature clock, a small brass pig—my best piece, given to me by my dad—and a tiny vintage Christmas ornament. I probably have over fifty pieces and it keeps growing.

What kind of compliments do you normally receive on your pieces? Who are they coming from and what are people saying?
The people who compliment my collection of pieces are usually people who really understand the magpie-like urge to collect small things, so when they see it their eyes widen and they approach it and quietly say, "Okay, yes." Stuff like that. I inherited the need to collect stuff from my dad, who has a knack for imbuing inanimate objects with life and magic. He used to make boiled eggs beg for mercy as he lowered them into the pot. I also just find it satisfying to be able to compartmentalize and organize things. Life is very messy and difficult to contain, but pieces are not.

Have you ever collected anything else before?
Autographed pictures, when I was a kid. I had Bette Midler, Tim Curry, Clint Eastwood, and Jim Carrey. So basically all the greats. Then I sold them for pot when I was a teenager.

Do you think your relationship to your pieces has been affected by this outside enthusiasm?
I think the more people comment on something the more insecure about it I get. I sometimes think that people compliment things that they're not sure about or not into… My grandmother was an agent for actors and I remember that the more she complimented them after a performance the more she hated the performance, usually. She would overcompensate: "You were marvellous."

How are you with receiving compliments in general?
I get too excited and babble and sort of bob my head humbly but too emphatically. I wouldn't go so far as to say they make me feel uncomfortable. Everyone loves a compliment, really. What makes me nervous is trying to respond appropriately.

Do you ever have any averse reactions to your collection?
Most people feel inspired to find a piece to add to it. There's nothing more embarrassing than when someone mistakes a regular object for a piece and tries to get it into my display. I have to feign enthusiasm and then remove it when they leave.