Contact me
Pick the level that fits what you’re sending. All three reach the same inbox. The only difference is who else can read your message along the way.
Not sure which to pick? Asking about a service, a workshop, or a price? Level 1 is fine. Anything about your health, legal matters, money, or your safety? Use Level 2, or message me on Signal.
Level 1: Just send an email
No setup, works from any email account.
Email me at yourname@yourdomain.tld
Normal email is like a postcard. It gets where it’s going, but every server along the way can read it. That’s fine for “Do you have openings in March?” It’s not fine for your account numbers.
If you already use Proton Mail, your message to me is encrypted automatically. You don’t have to do anything else.
A few tips, whichever level you use:
- Keep the subject line boring, like “Question” or “Booking”. Subject lines are never encrypted, even at Level 2 or 3.
- Don’t send passwords. I will never ask for one.
- If someone else might read your email or your phone, write from a device and account they can’t get into. Or use Signal below.
Signal: The easy private option
If you have Signal on your phone, this is the simplest way to reach me privately.
My Signal username: yourname.01
Signal messages are encrypted from your phone to mine. Nobody in between can read them, including Signal. This is the best choice if your situation is sensitive and you don’t want to learn anything new today.
Level 2: Encrypt your message with my key
About 15 minutes the first time. For anything sensitive.
Remember the mail slot? My public key is the slot. Anyone can use it to put a message in, and only my private key can take it out. You’ll use my public key to lock your message before you send it.
1. Get my public key. Download my public key
2. Check that it’s really mine. Your encryption app will show a long string of letters and numbers called a fingerprint. It must match this one exactly:
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
The same fingerprint is printed on my business card. If they don’t match, don’t use the key, and let me know.
3. Encrypt and send. Pick whichever fits how you already do email:
- Thunderbird (Windows, Mac, Linux): Open Account Settings, go to End-To-End Encryption, and import my key. When you write to me, click Encrypt in the toolbar. Thunderbird does the rest. This is the easiest route. (Setting up Thunderbird)
- Gpg4win (Windows), with your normal email: Open Kleopatra and import my key. Write your message in Kleopatra’s notepad, click Encrypt, and choose my key. Copy the block of scrambled text it produces and paste it into an email to me. (Step-by-step Kleopatra guide)
- Proton Mail: You don’t need my key. It’s handled for you.
If the email you send me is a block of text starting with -----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----, you did it right. That’s what everyone in between sees. Only I can turn it back into words.
Want a reply I can encrypt back to you? You’ll need your own key. Keep reading.
Level 3: Encrypt, sign, and send me your key
For people who already use PGP, or want to.
Encryption keeps your message private. Signing proves it came from you and wasn’t changed on the way. It’s like sealing the envelope with wax pressed with your own ring.
1. Make your own key pair, if you don’t have one. Thunderbird and Kleopatra can both create one in a few clicks. Use a strong passphrase and keep it in your password manager.
2. Encrypt to my key and sign with yours. In Thunderbird, turn on both Encrypt and Sign. In Kleopatra, choose my key as the recipient and your own key for signing.
3. Attach your public key so I can check your signature and write back to you encrypted. In Thunderbird, choose “Attach My Public Key” from the Security menu.
4. Tell me your fingerprint another way. Read it to me on a phone call, send it over Signal, or show me in person. If I only get your key by email, I can’t be sure someone didn’t swap it on the way. Checking it once, by a second route, makes everything after that trustworthy.
From the command line, if that’s your thing:
gpg --import key.asc
gpg --fingerprint yourname@yourdomain.tld
gpg --encrypt --sign --armor -r yourname@yourdomain.tld message.txt
gpg --armor --export you@example.com > my-key.asc
Send me message.txt.asc with my-key.asc attached.
What I do with your message
- I read it, answer it, and don’t share it.
- I don’t sign you up for a mailing list unless you ask.
- Like any website, this one’s host keeps standard server logs of visits. This page has no scripts, cookies, or trackers.
What to expect
I answer within 2 business days. If it’s urgent and you’re in danger, don’t wait on me: call 911, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.