North Shore Native Publishes Debut Novel After Festival of Arts Win

Steven M. Rubin's psychological family drama "The Unravelling of Michael Galler" draws inspiration from his hometown of Marblehead and Swampscott.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 7:25pm

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Steven M. Rubin, a North Shore native, has published his debut novel "The Unravelling of Michael Galler" after winning the Adult Short Story Best of Show award at the 1997 Marblehead Festival of Arts for an early chapter of the work-in-progress. The coming-of-age story follows a young man named Michael Galler living on the North Shore during a transformative period of his life, as he becomes obsessed with the fear of developing a serious illness.

Why it matters

Rubin's novel provides a glimpse into the lives of young adults navigating the transition from high school to college on the North Shore, while also exploring themes of health anxiety and the power of place in shaping personal identity. The book's publication marks an important milestone for the local author, who has been working on the project for over 25 years.

The details

Rubin, who grew up in Swampscott, submitted a chapter of "The Unravelling of Michael Galler" to the 1997 Marblehead Festival of Arts, where it won the Adult Short Story Best of Show award. This early recognition helped propel Rubin to continue developing the novel, which is set in the suburbs and city of Boston, with specific references to Marblehead Neck. The story follows the protagonist, Michael Galler, as he becomes fixated on the fear of developing a serious illness, based on observing illnesses in those close to him.

  • Rubin has been working on "The Unravelling of Michael Galler" since approximately 1996.
  • Rubin won the Adult Short Story Best of Show award at the 1997 Marblehead Festival of Arts for an early chapter of the novel.
  • "The Unravelling of Michael Galler" will be released on May 12, 2026 and is available for pre-order.

The players

Steven M. Rubin

A North Shore native and author of the upcoming psychological family drama "The Unravelling of Michael Galler".

Michael Galler

The protagonist of Rubin's novel, a young man living on the North Shore who becomes obsessed with the fear of developing a serious illness.

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What they’re saying

“It was certainly good validation to have entered and won Best of Show, which surprised me. But I think that was validation of two things: One, that I had a story to tell, even though I only shared a small part of it in the Festival of Arts, but also that I had the ability to tell it, and I think that may have definitely been a part of propelling me forward.”

— Steven M. Rubin, Author

“You never know where something you created a long time ago might end up.”

— Steven M. Rubin, Author

What’s next

"The Unravelling of Michael Galler" will be released on May 12, 2026 and is available for pre-order on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.

The takeaway

Rubin's debut novel, inspired by his North Shore upbringing, explores timely themes of health anxiety and personal identity, marking an important milestone for the local author after over 25 years of work on the project. The book's publication provides a platform for Rubin to share his unique perspective on the experiences of young adults navigating the transition to adulthood in the suburbs of Boston.