A reading this week at Kansas University will feature a poet whose work tells stories of alien abductions, vampiric soap operas and Kennedy-assassination conspiracy theories.

Tony Trigilio, a professor of creative writing at Columbia College Chicago, will read from his work at 4 p.m. Thursday in the English Room of the Kansas Union. The reading is free and open to the public. Afterward, Trigilio will take questions and sign copies of his book.

For his latest project, the poet is watching all 1,225 episodes of the 1960s horror soap opera “Dark Shadows.” He calls the project “a gigantic experiment in poetry and autobiography” as well as “an act of radical endurance.” The first installment of his project, “The Complete Dark Shadows (of My Childhood), Book 1,” was recently released.

Trigilio is also the author of “Historic Diary,” and the critical work “Allen Ginsberg’s Buddhist Poetics.” He is editor of the journal Court Green, producer of the podcast “Radio Free Albion” and is drummer for the Chicago-based band Pet Theories.