Robert Caro writes, and waits, during the COVID-19 outbreak

NEW YORK (AP) — Robert Caro’s days during the coronavirus pandemic are both familiar and frustrating. He holds to a daily routine of writing his fifth and final Lyndon Johnson book, but has also been affected personally and professionally. His close friend, the author Patricia Bosworth, died from the virus. And research for his book, including a planned trip to Vietnam, has been delayed. When asked how soon he will be done with Vol. 5, Caro declines to answer directly and give what he calls his standard answer: “It doesn’t matter how long a book takes, what matters is how long a book lasts.”