Wilson countered by calling Roethke a half-baked Bacchus and ordering him to
leave. As he stormed toward the door, Roethke ran into Allen Tate's
daughter, Nancy, and her husband, Dr. Wood. Mrs. Wilson, trying to make
some introductions, awkward at best since Roethke was being thrown out,
explained that Dr. Wood was a psychiatrist. Then, when Wood reached out to
shake Roethke's hand, Roethke, thinking he was about to be restrained,
lashed out and hit him. Roethke's friends hastily tried to explain that it
was all a misunderstanding, that Roethke had never hit anyone before, even
as they rushed him out the door and the tired year slammed shut behind
them."
