Beyond the Arrow:
A Photo Essay Toward a Houston Panorama (2022)
by Edward Santos Garza
Part 3 of 3
pylon project series
“April 21, 2022”
Sabo Center
12132 Sabo Rd.
Houston, TX 77089
This pylon sign and its shopping center are close to my high school alma mater, J. Frank Dobie. As you notice, every business has been allotted a single panel, with one exception: Dawn Donuts. I can tell you that the quality of their doughnuts merits this favoritism.
“May 2, 2022”
Shopping Center Name N/A
8500 Almeda Genoa Rd.
Houston, TX 77075
I have always loved the orange details on this sign. I wanted to make sure that my photo of it included some vehicles for scale. Above the panels, the word “GLORY” really makes this sign feel like a monument.
"June 3, 2022"
Shopping Center Name N/A
10910 Fuqua St.
Houston, TX 77089
Another sign near my high school alma mater. As with Sabo Center, note the phở restaurant. One cannot overstate the quality of the Vietnamese cuisine in Houston.
“September 2, 2022”
Sagewood Shopping Center
10923 Scarsdale Blvd.
Houston, TX 77089
A sign also in the 77089 zip code, this time closer to the south campus of San Jacinto College.
Edward Santos Garza has published essays in the Houston Chronicle, Texas Books in Review, and enculturation, among other venues. A graduate of the University of Houston and Texas State University, he has taught humanities courses at various institutions, most recently Houston Community College. He can be followed on Instagram and Twitter at edwardsgarza.