"There is no human activity from which every form of intellectual participation can be excluded". I like this quote it's hopeful

To all who read the article perhaps this link helps http://www.marxists.org/archive/gramsci/editions/spn/problems/intellectuals.htm#n5
footnotes included

Gramsci's writings make me think that although we are all intellectual creatures we are also situated creatures which makes for situated intellectuals. So why does he talk about "trained gorilla" given the above quote? is he rejecting Taylor's view or does he see both in society. Wait he can't be if he's saying ALL HUMAN ACTIVITY is participant of intellect.
Thus what he identifies as the problem of "crating a new stratum of intellectuals" is in reality the solution. Supporting each social individual's intellectual activity and "modifying its relationship with the muscular-nervous effort" (why do the translators need to use "muscular-nervous effort" isn't this also know as "movement").

From the intro I also took that history is dependent on who's telling the story and who's telling the story is dependent on how long have they been members of a "storytelling group" and furthermore how long have these storytellers been telling their stories.

Gramsci's revolution on the west is based on criticism of history and how it is constructructed and society and its structure or mode of production, "socio-historical criticism".

Apparently Gramsci and Marx differ in how one views individual action or "intellect" what I also like to sometimes refer to as agency. While Marx seems to rely (excessively according to Gramsci) on economism, (organic) Gramsci finds that ideology (conjuctural) also plays a key role in how individuals relate to the structure and superstructure.
Here I'm going on a big limb.... I wouls almost say that while Marx finds structure and superstructure are in a dialectic relations, Gramsci believes that superstructure and intellectuasl (i.e. all humans) are in a dialectic relation.

Final thought does Gramsci suggest all politicians are demagogues and as such those who from the communist party for example, enter the political scence become demagogues as well or is he saying that they should play demagogue roles or none of the above. Not sure on that one.

I'll end here Gramsci is a pain in the neck, literally, I don't know if it's the way I was sittting or a wind that entered the room but I have a bad pain in my neck.