Adam Sobel

The Sumner Files: Scenes from books Friends at gunpoint, and Irish landed gentry

This picture, painted by Sumner Crane with no wave legends Connie Burg and Rudolph Grey as models, was based on a Dashiell Hammett detective novel; Sumner also painted scenes of the Irish landed gentry from the novels of J. P. Donleavy. Scenes from books, in the Sumner Files. tinyurl.com/mvc5xm8k

This week's Sumner files is an audio podcast interview with Weasel Walter! Weasel's own music merges "extreme rock forms and free jazz," but he's also a scholar who knows more about no wave than just about anyone. It was an honor and a pleasure. deep-convection.org/2026/02/15/t...

The Sumner Files: Portraits Likenesses of celebrities, friends, and others --- but not Bukka White or Kierkegaard

This image is detective novelist Dashiell Hammett, painted by Sumner Crane on a piece of cardboard. Portraits, in this week's Sumner Files. deepconvection.substack.com/p/the-sumner...

The Sumner Files: Sports scenes, early 1980s Athletes in motion, or static.

The joy of victory, the agony of defeat, and some quieter moments too. Sports scenes, painted in the early 1980s. In this week's Sumner Files, the substack newsletter I've been writing about my late uncle, the artist Sumner Crane. deepconvection.substack.com/p/the-sumner...

The Sumner Files: East 4th Street, mid-1980s Two paintings of Sumner's block, and some stories about his place there.

In this week's Sumner Files, two paintings of the block where #sumnercrane lived from around 1978-86. I use them as a prompt to reconstruct some of his life, relationships and art during this period, a particularly fertile one for him. deepconvection.substack.com/p/the-sumner...

Thanks so much @alli-wing.bsky.social ! It's a profound honor to receive an award named for Joanne Simpson, such an important person in the history of our field. I'm very grateful to my nominators, whoever they are, and to the committee!

The Sumner Files: Urban landscapes, 1982-1986 Scenes from Lower Manhattan, painted during the last years that Sumner lived there.

In this week's Sumner Files: urban landscapes from lower Manhattan, painted in the early/mid 80s, the last years in which #sumnercrane lived in the borough. Diverse in light, color and perspective, by turns sweeping, intimate, and gritty. tinyurl.com/2kkknkm8

Walz: "What's happening in MN defies belief. News reports simply don't do justice to the level of chaos & disruption & trauma the federal govt is raining down... This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. Instead, it's a campaign of organized brutality against the people of MN"

Important opportunity to help save climate and weather science. From the fantastic group who brought you the climate livestream.

The Sumner Files: African centaurs, 1998 Zebra-supermodel hybrids.

In this week's Sumner Files: zebra centaurs. tinyurl.com/j2fhhxbu #sumnercrane

A thorough investigation is being conducted of the deceased victim while the killer was exonerated by Noem before her body was cold.

E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution

EPA proposes to stop measuring benefits of environmental regulations, just industry costs.

Seat belts cost car companies money.
Pollution controls on coal plants cost utilities money.
Water quality standards cost industry money.

EPA says ignore the lives they save.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...

The Sumner Files: Shopping Centaurs, 1989 A major Sumner masterwork

It feels a little wrong to post about art at this time. But it's what's keeping me sane. So, here's the weekly Sumner Files, on a major #sumnercrane masterwork, dated 1989: The Shopping Centaurs.
deepconvection.substack.com/p/the-sumner...

There aren't a lot of resources for what people can do to prevent the destruction of NCAR, so I made this:

#NCAR #climate #climatescience #weather #meteorology #activism #myresources

Physical drivers of the November 2023 heatwave in Rio de Janeiro Abstract. Because extreme heat has not historically been a major hazard for the city of Rio de Janeiro, the November 2023 Heatwave magnitude and timing were staggering. Here we conduct a case study of...

Our paper exploring the drivers of the November 2023 “Taylor Swift” heatwave in Rio de Janeiro is officially out in WCD! Take a read to learn more about the causes of this record-breaking heatwave and Rio’s emerging risk for extreme heat:

wcd.copernicus.org/articles/6/1...

From wildfire warnings to flood forecasts, NCAR's research impacts everyone in America.

President Trump's attempt to dismantle it for political vengeance is beyond reckless.

We will fight against this dangerous scheme every step of the way.

Save NCAR Field notes from New Orleans, where I and 20,000 colleagues learned that Trump intends to destroy the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Some reflections after returning back from a conference at which I and 20,000 colleagues learned that the Trump administration intends to dismantle #NCAR. This outrage should not happen. deepconvection.substack.com/p/save-ncar

Please write to your congressional reps about the NCAR budget cuts

Climate is simply a longer-term average of... weather.

Climate change research is simply the study of changing weather patterns.

NCAR has been at the forefront of weather / climate research and providing essential datasets for decades. It is one of the world's best training grounds for scientists.

The administration dismantling NCAR is scientific vandalism, much like the Taliban demolishing cultural artifacts.
www.theguardian.com/world/2001/m...

Some perspectives from our community on what NCAR means to weather and climate researchers:

"NCAR is quite literally our global mothership" @katharinehayhoe.com

"I came to the US over 10 years ago for a postdoc at NCAR. It changed my life..." @climateflavors.bsky.social

#SaveNCAR

Attacking NCAR is enormously self-destructive for America. NCAR is the leading centre in weather and climate research in the world. We Europeans often travel to NCAR to collaborate, discuss and learn. Hurting the centre will cause damage that is irreversible for years to decades with global impact.

Threatening to dismantle NCAR, our premier weather and climate research institute (apparently) because Colorado refuses to pardon someone accused of tampering with voting machines is a sad example of our current kakistocracy in action… www.nytimes.com/2025...

NCAR is a unique & valuable asset - far more than a climate model, or observations, or technology, or training ground, or gathering space. It covers weather, space weather, data, climate, paleo-climate, and everything in-between. It's building is an icon, but it's iconic status goes far beyond that.

The Weather & Climate Livestream Join us starting May 28th, as meteorologists and climate scientists from across the US share their research and answer your questions.

For those at #agu25 #saveNCAR

12:15pm - Group Photo/Video at the "science strong" wall across from the Plenary Hall at the entrance to the convention center

1:30-5:30pm - drop in interviews at PJs Coffee in front of Hall C - look for the person with the "We ❤️ NCAR" sign.

More info:

This is an intellectual war crime.
NCAR is one of the nation's, and the world's, pre-eminent research institutions.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

This week on the Sumner Files: the first new audio podcast episode in some months. I spoke to Arto Lindsay again, now in person, after we'd looked through the #sumnercrane archive (in which Arto is well represented, incl. drawings he did for Jack Texas) for a couple hours. tinyurl.com/4tt3f2wv

The Sumner Files: Juvenilia, Part 3 On adult Sumner connecting with children through art.

To finish up the series on #sumnercrane and childhood, a few stories on adult Sumner's interactions with the children in his life via art. tinyurl.com/3jwv3ajt

The Sumner Files: Juvenilia, Part 2 Drawings of musicians, and the confluences between music and visual art in young Sumner's consciousness.

In which I show drawings of musicians by child and teenage Sumner, and consider the confluences of music and visual art in his early life. bit.ly/48dE9yB #sumnercrane

Re-upping this position before the December 1st application deadline. I'm looking to hire a post-doc - could be a climate scientist or environmental economist. Ideal start early 2026 but could be later. Please circulate!