 "Itinerary" provided early publication credits for such distinguished BG alumni as Carolyn Forche, Charles Fort, Jean Thompson, Tony Ardizzone, Dara Wier, Allen Wier, and many other fine poets, fiction writers, and essayists.In 1980, wanting to diversify the magazines contents, then-MFA students Scott Cairns and Steve Heller suggested to Early that they better use their resources to transform the magazine from an in-house publisher to a journal of international scope.Early accepted the challenge and created "Mid-American Review", offering it, at the same time, as editorial experience for BG's MFA students.