Jean Stein (February 9, 1934 – April 30, 2017) was an American author and editor of Jewish descent. She was born in Los Angeles, California. She was known for her works "West of Eden" and "". She also wrote biographies of United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. In the late 1950s, she was an editor at "The Paris Review". From 1990 to 2004, she was editor of the literary/visual arts magazine "Grand Street".