The Great Tumbleweave Diaspora


“Unfortunate little tumbleweave that met an unhappy end on V Street, hospital NE Washington, shop DC. Tumbleweaves thrive here in DC, their numbers are great.  She was one of the unlucky few.” – Urban Tumbleweave

A tumbleweave is the part of a hairstyle that, once mature and dry, disengages from the host and tumbles (rolls) away in the wind, seeking its own fortunes. The tumbleweave habit is most common in urban areas, such as PHILLAY. However, the ripe specimen of tumbleweave pictured below was sighted by intoallthat in Baltimore. Some thorough scientific analysis yields the following theory: “possibly originating continents away in a proto-religious Eurasian hairletting ritual, [this tumbleweave] found itself hopelessly and aimlessly clinging to a patch of concrete in downtown Bowtimo. Possibly looking for a cameo on The Wire.”

The blog Urban Tumbleweave seeks to further chronicle tumbleweaves discovered in Philadelphia, West Oakland (“the Philly of the West Coast”) and beyond. Each tumbleweave is like a snowflake, representing a particular genus, such as the exotic Synthetica Prolifera. Tumblewave sightings can also be submitted to this excellent Flickr pool.


A typical specimen found in Baltimore

9 Responses to “The Great Tumbleweave Diaspora”

  1. Mer Says:

    That’ll do, Nadya. That’ll do.

  2. Bri Says:

    As an Oakland resident, I’ve seen many a tumbleweave in it’s natural habitat. These specimen don’t always leave the host on their own, but are often displaced during a physical altercation and left to roll the streets with nothing.

    Prime tumbleweave spotting can be had early Sunday mornings outside popular dance clubs.

  3. Tequila Says:

    The baked goods that look like heads and body parts don’t gross me out…yet this for unknown reasons turns my stomach a little.

  4. Sam Says:

    So, um, there are people out there who get bits of fake hair attached to their real hair? Is this what I’m to understand?

  5. bleiu Says:

    Hmm, I might want to borrow those tumbleweaves for wearing in interesting photo shoots.

  6. Barton Says:

    Wow, that Baltimore tumbleweave is fierce…

  7. Alice Says:

    Ohhh, B-more…my hometown just keeps on makin’ me proud….*sniff*

  8. Nadya Says:

    bleui: Oh my god, I *LOVE* that idea. POST PICTURES!!! That is genius. Giving discarded tumbleweaves a new life! I wish I thought of it first. A bit unhygenic, but TOTALLY briliant. DOOO IT!!!

    Alice: I KNOW, I was so proud of my former hometown of Philly when I made this pot!

    Sam: Yes. It also doubles as protection from bullets: http://www.oliviamunn.com/woman-stops-bullet-with-hair-weave/

    Speaking of, did anyone see Good Hair? It sort of passed me by. Must see it ASAP.

  9. Glossolalia Black Says:

    I saw a sad little one down the block from where I live here in the Midwest. It was an Afrotribble. It was so plain and lonely, I wonder if it wasn’t a REAL piece of hair that somehow got torn out/cut off.

    It reminded me of the little odd afro in front that my dad had when his male pattern baldness kicked in. If he were a white man, it would have been a little patchy wisp of combover. On daddy, it was a little Afrotribble.