Ep 573- KEROUAC’S ROAD: THE BEAT OF A NATION – A Conversation with Director Ebs Burnough

In this episode of The Roundtable with Robert Bannon, we welcome filmmaker, writer, and political strategist Ebs Burnough to discuss his powerful new documentary Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation. Known for his work in both the cultural and political arenas—including his time as White House Deputy Social Secretary under President Barack Obama—Burnough brings a uniquely thoughtful and intersectional lens to storytelling.

Following his acclaimed debut documentary The Capote Tapes, Burnough turns his attention to another American literary icon—Jack Kerouac. With narration by The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli and appearances by W. Kamau Bell, Josh Brolin, Matt Dillon, Natalie Merchant, and Beat Generation contemporaries like Joyce Johnson, the film traces the impact and contradictions of On the Road and the Beat movement through a modern lens. From race and class to queerness and counterculture, Kerouac’s Road explores how one book helped shape—and still challenges—what it means to be free in America.

We talk to Ebs about the making of the film, the road trips he took with today’s artists and thinkers to retrace Kerouac’s steps, and the complicated legacy of the man behind the myth. It’s a stunning film and a timely conversation that will leave you inspired, provoked, and maybe even packing your bags.

🎞 Premiering August 1, 2025, in select theaters and festivals.

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