Photography by Anna Powell Denton
This summer, the space previously occupied by the Thirsty Scholar will be transformed into a cultural hub for writers in the Midwest. Writer and educator Taylor Lewandowski acquired the space alongside his father and grandfather early this year, and says the new bookstore and coffee shop is set to open in August. Blooming with inspiration from Midwest and Indiana writers, the store will be called Dream Palace Books and Coffee after a James Purdy novella.
Having grown up in Indiana and obtaining his MFA in Creative Writing at Butler, Lewandowski has a deep appreciation for the Midwest and its writers. Sharing the work of writer Susan Neville, one of his professors at Butler, is an example of Lewandowski’s dedication to highlighting those voices; he is a key resource for Midwest literature.
Indianapolis has a few wonderful local bookstores, but Lewandowski’s shop will fill the need for honoring writers from here and providing a community for local and regional writers. He has written for local and international publications, hosted readings in Indianapolis, and has been a featured reader in different cities like LA. His experience with both local and international writing will be woven within the collections and events at the store.
“A bookstore is a sacred space for me,” Lewandowski says. “Having access to a curated collection is vital.”
In addition to Midwest literature, the bookstore will carry consistently updated new works of literary fiction, queer literature, and works from small presses. Carrying a vast array of voices is imperative to Lewandowski. With books actively being banned and bills being passed that intend to erase voices of the LGBTQ+ and POC communities, reading about others’ experience is the pushback society needs. His collections will provide access to those voices. The used selection will be a curated collection that Lewandowski has acquired over many years with a high concentration in philosophy and art. He says he will be accepting donations for his used book section.
The bookstore will be in a separate room from the cafe making things easy to navigate and leaving space in the cafe area for the renovated stage one may recognize from the Thirsty Scholar. The cafe will carry coffee from local roasters at Tinker. Normal hours will consist of general cafe imbibing and book store browsing, then transform for events into a literary hub for writer communities. Lewandowski will bring in writers from all over for events like book tours and readings.
“I want to have as many events as possible,” he says of creating space for writers here. That intention rings true, as Lewandowski has already planned Dream Palace’s first event. Hosted at Dear Mom, the debut event will be a book launch this Friday at 7 p.m. featuring writers Jim Ruland (LA), Aaron Burch (Ann Arbor), Parker Young and Sam Berman (Chicago), as well as local writers Natalie Lima and Bree Jo’Ann. The event is free and the writers’ books will be on sale.
Eventually Lewandowski plans to start publishing. For now he is giving Indy readers an intentional space that centers around freedom of speech through marginalized voices. Writers that need a place to feel at home and connected to the vast network of people sharing their truths will find Dream Palace Books and Coffee to be a regular spot.
Keep up with Lewandowski and his work, as well as Dream Palace’s opening journey, on Instagram.
