The New York Times praised a new novel authored by Thad Ziolkowski, Director of Pratt's Writing Program, in its May 20 print edition. The novel, titled “Wichita,” is Ziolkowski's first. The Times called it “charming, smart, and devastating” with characters the exhibit “a full range of emotional complexity” and an emotional terrain that is “touching and vast.” Ziolkowski received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008-2009, which, with additional support from Pratt, supported his work on the novel.

Ziolkowski is author of the memoir “On a Wave,” which is an account of his surfer boyhood in Melbourne Beach, Florida. The memoir was a finalist for the PEN/Martha Albrand Award in 2003. He has also authored several essays for The Times about surfing, including a May 17 post for The Times's Townies series.