Description
Elsie Whittaker Martinez was a writer and prominent member of the Bay Area’s Bohemian community. Born in 1890 in Manitoba, Canada, she and her family moved to Piedmont in 1902. After marrying painter Xavier Martinez at 18, she remained active in various writing groups and artist circles and began teaching at California School of Arts and Crafts. Martinez also worked as a correspondent for Harper’s and the Little Review. In this interview, she discusses her family history, travels, fellow artists in Monterey and Carmel, and studies with Harriet Dean.