Welcome to Behind the Jacket

Hello there! I’m glad you’re here.

I’m Eve Batey. I’ve been an avid reader since 1974, and I’ve been writing professionally since 2004. At this moment, I’m a regular contributor to Vanity Fair; I also write about books for the San Francisco Chronicle and co-publish a true crime analysis Substack called Best Evidence with my good buddy Sarah D. Bunting.

But every week, I come across great books or fascinating authors that aren’t a fit for any of the outlets with which I work. My hope is that this could be the place for those pieces — interviews with writers, linkdumps of book and author news I find interesting, and reviews.

Of course, that plan only works if people read this thing, and if a decent number of those readers also pay to subscribe. I live a busy life and have dogs to feed, so I gotta make that paper, baby!

But I also understand that not everyone has cash to burn these days. If that’s you, you can support Behind the Jacket by sharing it on social media (preferably with abundant words of praise), forwarding it to others, liking and commenting on issues, or asking for a paid sub for the gift-giving holiday of your choice.

Thanks for joining me in this little experiment. More soon!

— Eve