Fast track to the wide world

Isaac Wurmann may well be the only writer on blogspot.com who lists his occupation as "elementary school student and newspaper publisher."
The 11-year-old Edmonton boy has been putting out his own quarterly newspaper, Die Zeitung, (German for The Newspaper) for about two years. About 20 or 30 friends and family members subscribe, mostly via e-mail.
Much of Die Zeitung details the life of a typical kid his age. Isaac writes about his travels to Disneyland, the Badlands and to Germany, a family trip that inspired the name for his paper. He also writes book, movie and music reviews, ghost stories and puzzles.
What is most surprising about the paper isn't the quality of his writing, photos or design -- all very good -- or even the sheer volume of work put into each edition - huge - but rather, the amount of politics and opinion on display.
In recent issues, Isaac has tackled Canada's Kyoto commitments and the Throne Speech. He's evaluated Stephane Dion's leadership potential. And he's derided Stephen Harper after his minions answered Isaac's heartfelt letter of concern about the environment with a letter about the Clean Air Act and an autographed picture of the PM.
"But as I say in the story above, in the Clean Air Act there is nothing to do with big greenhouse gas emitters," Isaac wrote disparagingly in his July issue, at the tender age of 10. "So I guess if you want to have a picture of Stephen Harper, just write him a letter. Is this how he is 'Getting things done, for all of us'? Because everybody needs a signed picture of Stephen Harper in their office or home. Right?"
Isaac realizes some of his interests are not those of a typical kid. His blog includes links to Stop Sweatshop Abuse, Free the Children, the Rick Mercer Report and The UN World Food Program.
"My family talks about politics more with their kids than most families," Isaac says simply, adding, "I just like it because I understand it more than most kids."
His is a political family to be sure. His dad, Roy Thorpe, has a political science degree and has taken Isaac door-knocking for the NDP. His grandmother, Sharon Wurmann, is a Raging Granny in Winnipeg. His great-grandfather, William McNamara, was a Liberal senator in the 1970s.
"Isaac has always been interested in the world out there and his mark on it," says his mother, Kirsten Wurmann, who is credited as Die Zeitung's production assistant.
Last spring, she introduced him to the climate-change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, "and seriously, it changed his life. He heard Al Gore's message that we need to spread the word."
For Earth Day at his school, Isaac set up a classroom committee to raise money to plant trees, organized a litter clean-up, prepared a PowerPoint presentation and showed it to the whole school. For Christmas, he has organized a class committee to raise money for World Vision.
"I've certainly been impressed with how very sure of himself he is and sure of his ideas," says Beth Devries, his Grade 5 and 6 teacher at Garneau Elementary. "He has strong opinions for a kid his age, but they're well supported."
His enthusiasm and maturity have won over many adults.
When he asked for a media pass to the Calgary Folk Festival this summer, he got one. When he asked for interviews with musicians, he got several, including time with Dallas Green of City and Colour and British folk band Chumbawamba. Last month when the Weakerthans played Edmonton, he got an interview with singer John K. Samson, along with the singer's personal e-mail address, he adds proudly.
He asked prominent people about their favourite books as kids and received replies from Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft, lawyer and former federal NDP candidate Linda Duncan and several childrens' book authors. Premier Ed Stelmach's assistant e-mailed him back, asking for his home mailing address before sending him a response, which he never received. "That is kind of stupid, don't you think?" he wrote in his July issue.
"It kind of blows me away a little bit," says mom Kirsten of Isaac's success. "Everyone just has been so supportive to him and that really encourages him."
Isaac knows his political passions aren't always shared, or even understood, by his classmates. When he was trying to engage them in raising money for an Earth Day project, one child asked to join his "baking club," he recounts with some annoyance.
But in many ways, he's just like "a regular kid," he says. He swims for the Penguins swim club, takes piano lessons and reads Harry Potter. His tastes in TV runs to The Office, Corner Gas and Pushing Daisies. His musical tastes -- the Weakerthans, Cold Play -- are closer to his parents' than his contemporaries'. He owns a Game Boy, but says he plays it only a couple of times a year. He likes the computer, but only for writing in his blog, compiling his newspaper and checking his e-mail.
"My best friend, I don't really think he's any bit like me at all. He really likes video games and he has a PS2 and a PSP and he plays indoor soccer," says Isaac. But the two share an interest in books and movies, he adds.
Isaac has no firm plans for the future, though he's toyed with the idea of writing or becoming a politician.
His teacher, Beth Devries, has no doubt he'll find his niche. "I think he'll be a leader, he'll be a visionary of some kind. He'll be absolutely successful in whatever he chooses to do."
mgold@thejournal.canwest.com
Read Isaac's blog at istw.blogspot.com

Yes, that is an article about me in the Edmonton Journal. I did not just write it up by myself. If you want to see the original article visit my article at the Edmonton Journal.

Fun fun!!