Jack Kerouac was a prominent American author known for his role in the Beat Generation. His most famous work, On the Road, published in 1957, captures the spirit of adventure and the quest for meaning through spontaneous prose. The novel follows the journeys of characters inspired by Kerouac's own experiences traveling across the United States. In addition to On the Road, Kerouac wrote several other notable works, including The Dharma Bums and Big Sur. His writing often explores themes of spirituality, freedom, and the search for identity, reflecting the countercultural movements of the 1950s and 1960s.