The Basement

"The Basement" is a factual account by Kate Millett detailing the sexual abuse, torture, and murder of a young woman by a group of teenagers. The perpetrator who was supposed to protect the victim led the group. Millett, an influential feminist author and artist, explored power dynamics related to gender and sexuality in her work, including this book published in 1979. The term "basement" can also refer to a room below ground level, often used for storage, or metaphorically to the lowest point of something. Jean-François Millet, a different artist, was known for his paintings of peasant subjects.123