INDIANAPOLIS — Dream Palace Books & Coffee is a dream come true for Taylor Lewandowski.
“I've always wanted to own a bookstore,” Lewandowski said. “Books, writing, [and] literature, [have] always been super important to me.”
It’s a journey that began when Lewandowski was a teenager. The future Herron High School English teacher often found refuge from reality inside bookstores, one store in particular.
“Why I really wanted to start a bookstore comes from this lineage of when I visited a bookstore in Wabash, Indiana,” Lewandowski said. “There's this old man, Tom Kelch, who really meant a lot to me.”
Lewandowski credits his discussions with Kelch for encountering works of literature he ordinarily wouldn't have. But that experience went beyond the books.
“It's also about talking to someone or just picking the mind of someone else,” Lewandowski said. “That's kind of what I'm trying to do with Dream Palace.”
Lewandowski says the books inside Dream Palace are highly curated.
“Some of the books you're going to find here you're not going to find anywhere else,” Lewandowski said. “It’s probably one of the only bookstores that has a real focus on fine art.”
Dream Palace also features works focusing on everything from queer literature and international voices, to fiction and obscure fiction.
Lewandowski notes Indianapolis is fortunate to have a number of local bookstores, each focusing on their own niche.
“I love how they're kind of fractured and they all have their own takes,” Lewandowski said.
It's a community in which Lewandowski takes pride.
"Being able to sell someone a book that they wouldn't come across is such a rewarding experience.”
Dream Palace Books & Coffee is located at 111 E. 16th Street in Indianapolis. It is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
